Rusty Wallace drives the #2 Miller Lite Dodge on the NextelCup Circuit. His full name is Russell William Wallace, he was born on August 14, 1956 to parents Russ and Judy Wallace, and he grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. Rusty has 2 brothers, Mike and Kenny, who also have racing careers.
Rusty started racing stock cars in 1973 at Lakehill Speedway in Missouri. He won more than 200 feature races from 1974 to 1978. In 1979 he then joined USAC (Unitsted States Auto Club) stock car division and won the USAC Rookie of the Year Award. On his way to Winston Cup, Rusty also won the ASA Championship in 1983.
Rusty began hisWinston Cup career in 1980 running 2 races driving the #16 Chevrlet for Roger Penske: (Atlanta where he finished 2nd and Charlotte where he finished 14th). Rusty Wallace won the prestigious Winston Cup Rookie of the Year award in 1984, his first full year on the circuit. His first Winston Cup win came at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 6, 1986 racing the Alugard/Blue Max Pontiac. Since then Rusty has won a total of 54 Winston Cup races (As of October 2002). He was the 1989 Winston Cup Champion. Rusty also won the 1989 Winston "All Star" race, the
6 inaugural Thunder Special race at Suzuka, Japan, and the 1998 Bud Shootout, and the 1991 IROC Championship. Rusty Wallace was also inducted on February 1, 1998 into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
The Penske Racing South team is owned by Rusty Wallace and Roger Penske. Rusty's teammate is Ryan Newman and both team shops are located in Mooresville, NC.