May 09
Spotlight on Rusty Wallace
Steve Wallace’s impressive top-10 finish at Bristol Motor Speedway marked his second straight top-10 there and his second top-10 in his past three Nationwide Series starts overall. His energetic performance electrified the fans as he raced the No. 66, 5-hour Energy machine from 30th place into the top 15 by lap 60, finishing in the seventh position. The young wheelman jumped in the Nationwide Series driver standing by 11 spots to 17th.
Up next is the Talladega Superspeedway race, where the expanded 5-hour Energy sponsorship will debut with both the No. 66 car driven by Wallace and the No. 62 Chevrolet Impala SS –with primary sponsorship by 5-hour Energy Extra Strength – driven by fourth-ranked Brendan Gaughan. Former NASCAR champion and RWR team owner Rusty Wallace says he’s excited about having 5-hour Energy on board with both teams this year. “They have a great brand, a strong product and now they have probably the two most energetic drivers in the garage, in Steve and Brendan,” he says.
Rusty shared the following insights during a recent question-and-answer session.
Q: How do you think the season is going so far?
A: So far, our 5-hour Energy hot rods have been strong. With Steve having a top-10 and Brendan on the pole at Bristol, we’ve got some good momentum heading into the upcoming races.
Q: It looked like you were having a blast at Legends race in Bristol. Do you think there should be a series?
A: It was a lot of fun. Working out all of the details of having a series of those races would be tough, but it definitely seemed like the fans liked it.
Q: Steve had a strong showing at Bristol. Why do you think he does so well on that track?
A: Bristol is one of the tracks where you have the greatest sensation of speed and you have to be really aggressive. Steve always seems to do well on those types of tracks.
Q: Is Jimmie Johnson going to make it four in a row?
A: I wouldn’t bet against him, but right now, his teammate Jeff Gordon is looking strong, too. You can’t count out Kurt Busch in my old blue deuce either; the guys at Penske Racing seem to have really turned that team around this year.
Q: Have there been any repercussions from the
testing cancellation?
A: I’d like to think that maybe it has helped to level the playing field a bit, but teams are still finding places to test and spend money doing it.
Q: When is your favorite time of day to drink 5-hour Energy?
A: I like to drink 5-hour Energy in the middle of the day. It really helps give me that extra boost to get through the afternoon.
Q: Gaughan has had some good races this season. How’s
he doing overall?
A: Brendan’s been a great fit for our team. He has a great positive outlook on life, and that’s really rubbing off on everyone around him.
Q: How has the economy impacted the races?
A: I think the economy has affected everyone and racing is no different. You’re seeing lower turnouts at the races, and it’s definitely harder for team owners to find sponsors. We have the best fans in the world, though, and you’re still seeing a lot of support for our races.
Q: It’s amazing that more pit crew members don’t get hurt. Do you think the new NASCAR rule changes for pit road safety need to go further?
A: NASCAR has done a great job in managing the safety of the crews on pit road. We’re always looking for ways to make racing safer and I’m sure as time goes on, they’ll find more and more ways to do that.
Q: What do you enjoy doing during your downtime?
A: Downtime? (Laughing) In the little time off I do have, I like relaxing and playing some golf in the North Carolina mountains. I also really enjoy flying, but I get to do that enough as it is now!
