Rusty Wallace says 2005 is the "Last Call"

[Yitzy]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Rusty Wallace announced the expected Monday outside Turn 4 at Daytona International Speedway; but in true Wallace fashion, he did it with a bombshell.

Admitting that his outlook on his career had been profoundly affected by the death in 2001 of his deeply regarded friend and foe, Dale Earnhardt, Wallace officially said 2005 would be his last year driving the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge in the Nextel Cup Series.

"You know what? I've won a lot of races. I want to have fun in this sport, and I don't want to get hurt," Wallace said, periodically wiping away tears. "I'm announcing my retirement.

"I still feel like I'm a champion (but) I don't want to get hurt. I want to hang around the sport more. I plan on staying in the sport (and) I plan on being very heavily involved with Team Penske and help grow it and stay in it a long time."

Wallace's swan song season will carry the theme of "Rusty's Last Call" and will feature a yearlong celebration of the champion driver's career.

It was an emotional morning for Wallace, who made his statements in a packed Pepsi Theater at the DAYTONA USA motorsports attraction at Daytona.

"I've done this a long time and when you're driving 200 mph out there and you're trying to make fans happy and doing your best job, you want to keep that up," Wallace said. "You know, I think after Earnhardt lost his life three or four years ago, it kinda got to me -- it made me a little nervous (and) made me think hard about it."

Wallace said he first thought about retirement about eight months ago and the final die was cast about two months ago, when he met with Action Performance head Fred Wagenhals to put the plans for his final season in place.

The Daytona gathering included his parents, Russ and Judy Wallace; his brothers, Mike and Kenny; his wife Patti and their children, Greg, Katie and Stephen; his team owner and partner, Roger Penske; drag racing legend Don Prudhomme; and NASCAR champion Bobby Allison.

Several key members of the Penske Racing organization, including president John Erickson and several members of Wallace's current team, including crew chief Larry Carter and longtime chassis specialist Jeffrey Thousand, were also on hand.

Barry Dodson, who was Wallace's crew chief for his Cup championship team in 1989 and now is the general manager of his Rusty Wallace Incorporated race team in the NASCAR Busch Series, also attended.

"I've never seen anybody retire running this competitively," Dodson said. "I don't know how I could have any more admiration for Rusty Wallace than I do, but he's the first driver to say that Dale Earnhardt's death got to him; and that it was a deciding factor in a decision about his career.

"That gives me that much more respect for Rusty."

Wallace put the celebration together with the help of NASCAR, which was represented by chairman and chief executive officer Brian France, vice chairman Bill France and president Mike Helton; and arranged for air transportation for a large group of media.

"Personally, I'd like to have Rusty around a little longer," Bill France said. "Despite all the times he's given us hell over one thing or another, the bottom line with Rusty was he's always been a team player.

"What he's been interested in doing has been for the betterment of the sport."

Helton, who had a long career in racetrack management before joining NASCAR, said he recalled meeting Wallace as a young short track racer in the late 1970s.

"Hanging around Rusty at the short tracks, it was obvious why he was successful -- he was a hands-on racer who added a whole new level of intensity to that effort," Helton said. "He carried that to NASCAR when he came to it.

"Rusty, I'm looking forward to working with you in whatever you do, and I know it will be first class."

Wallace said the exact dynamics of his farewell tour were not all in place but, while many events would be held in conjunction with racing weekends, many more would not.

"I have been doing more appearances away from race markets, and I want to tell you, the turnout and response has been unbelievable," Wallace said. "We want to do more mini-festival events like that, with music and just a lot of fun for people in conjunction with the Last Call tour."

Wallace ran his first race on NASCAR's premier tour in 1980 at Atlanta and finished second to Earnhardt, who was on his way to the first of seven career championships. He became a fulltime competitor on the circuit in 1984 and won the Cup Rookie of the Year award that season.

He claimed the series national driving title in 1989 and finished as runner-up for the championship in 1988 and again in 1993, winning "driver of the year" titles in the latter two seasons.

He has recorded 55 race wins, dating from his first victory in 1986, to his 10-win season in 1993 and to his most recent victory, last April at Martinsville, Va.

"I have always valued my reputation as a top competitor and strived to maintain a winning image through all the years," Wallace said. "It's extremely important to me that I conclude my career as a driver while I'm still at the top of my game.

"We might not have all the statistics to prove it, but I feel like my team is always a top threat to win each and every race. We've had some crazy stuff happen to us this season while we've been running at the front, and I think we can win a couple more races this season."

Wallace said he expected to have a hand in naming his replacement at the No. 2 Dodge, citing the fact that Miller did not want to be involved in a rebuilding project.

"We'll be looking at an established driver, for sure," Wallace said.

But before that, he said he was looking forward to a busy season in 2005.

"It's gonna be a season full of fun and success -- and probably some controversy along the way," Wallace said. "I am looking forward to next season and to everything the future has in store for me after I've taken off the driver's uniform for the final time next November."