Rusty runs for Roger Penske 11 years before you thought (1980)
Join me throughout this year as I take a look at when some of the sport’s biggest stars drove some unusual cars! (Presented in no particular order).
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| Courtesy Racers Reunion & Don Smyle |
Why? A previous connection with the Penske team’s management allowed Rusty Wallace to make his Cup Series debut in 1980 at Atlanta. Yes—Rusty Wallace raced for Roger Penske WELL before 1991.
How successful were they? Any time you go out and finish second in your first Cup Series race, that’s a massive success. Wallace would add a 14th-place finish in the fall Charlotte race before Roger Penske mothballed his NASCAR operations.
What was the aftermath? Wallace slowly worked his way up the NASCAR food chain, peaking with a championship for Blue Max Racing in 1989. Two years later he partnered with Roger Penske and Don Miller to start Penske Racing South, where he would race until his retirement following the 2005 season.
Ranking on the Strange-O-Meter? 9 time travels out of 10—how often do you see someone run a one (or two) off, then return to that same team over a decade later?
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