Rusty Wallace Biography

Russell William Wallace Jr. was born on August 14, 1956, and competed in the NASCAR Cup Series from 1980 to 2005, most notably driving the No. 2 nicknamed Midnight for Penske Racing. Wallace won over 200 races and two track championships in Florida prior to his stock car racing career. He captured the American Speed Association championship in 1983, joined the NASCAR Cup Series full time in 1984, and won Rookie of the Year, the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship, and the International Race of Champions in 1991. Wallace claimed victory in the 1990 Coca-Cola 600 and earned 55 wins during his NASCAR career. He has been inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame and International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2013, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2014, and the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 2010. Since retiring, Wallace has served as a commentator for NASCAR events and operated his own racing team, Rusty Wallace Racing, while also designing Iowa Speedway. Before joining NASCAR, Wallace won a pair of local track championships in Florida and earned the Central Racing Association Rookie of the Year award in 1973.