NASCAR Winston Cup Jiffy Lube 300 Preview -- #2, Rusty Wallace
10 July 1997
#2 Rusty Wallace, Miller Lite Ford Thunderbird NASCAR Winston Cup Series Jiffy Lube 300 Advance New Hampshire International Speedway FOR WALLACE & MILLER LITE TEAM PENSKE: NEW HAMPSHIRE INT'L SPEEDWAY IS "MECCA" OF CONSISTENCY LOUDON, NH - While the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup tour has dealt the ultimate "journey of inconsistency" for Rusty Wallace and his Miller Lite Team Penske Ford Thunderbird team, this weekend's stop on the circuit offers a promising sojourn for change. New Hampshire International Speedway, site of Sunday's Jiffy Lube 300, could be described as Wallace's "Mecca" for competitive consistency and a place for, as Wallace puts it, "putting up the big numbers on the board." Carrying the not-coveted distinguishing trait of being the highest-ranked driver in the points with the most DNFs (12th in points with 7 DNFs), Wallace and his Robin Pemberton-led crew are almost gleeful about their return to N.H.I.S. "After all the ups and downs we had during the first half of the season, the New Hampshire race can give us just the finishing shot in the arm that we need to get it all turned around for the rest of the year," said Wallace, the inaugural race winner at N.H.I.S. who has finished no worse than seventh in the four races held to date on the 1.058-mile race track. "Coming off the good run we had at Daytona, it's a great place for us to be racing...I'll tell you that. (Wallace finished sixth in last Saturday's Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. It was his best career finish at Daytona.) "Ever since day one when we came from the rear to win the first race there, we go into New Hampshire with an unbelievable amount of confidence. That's no different this time around. We go there expecting to have a great chance of winning the thing. And, even if we don't get to go to Victory Lane, we just know that we're going to have a good solid run and a super finish." Despite starting 33rd in the inaugural New Hampshire race back in 1993, Wallace was able to lead 106 laps en route to an impressive win. "That was one of those deals where I really screwed up in qualifying," recalled Wallace. "We had to qualify second round and then make the best of it. As it turned out, we pitted way on down pit road toward turn four and that proved to be a benefit for us. Anyhow, it was really neat to have won the first race there." Wallace started 18th and finished third in 1994; started 20th and finished sixth in 1995; and started 17th and finished seventh in last year's Jiffy Lube 300. Those figures equate into a 22.0 average start and a 4.25 average finish. He is one of only two drivers (Ricky Rudd is the other) who have posted top-10 finishes in all four New Hampshire races. He has completed 100 percent of all possible laps. "I've always said that I wasn't the best of qualifiers and I guess the record there is a perfect example," said Wallace, winner of 18 career pole positions in 409 races. "But, I've always asked everybody to not judge our potential in the race by our qualifying effort. I guess the New Hampshire record proves that one, too." While Wallace and team enjoy a streak of competitive success on the race track in New Hampshire, they also welcome the pleasures enjoyed during the leisure hours. "It's sort of the same deal that we have when we go to California," Wallace explained. "It's like a working vacation. We stay up on the lake just north of the track. We always have a great time there...real relaxed atmosphere and all...and I think there's some kind of positive influence in that fact that rubs off on us while we're at the race track. "We're really looking forward to this weekend's race. We're definitely looking at positive results at New Hampshire to get the fire burning again for the rest of the season." First-round qualifying to determine positions 1-25 in Sunday's 300-lap, 317.4-mile race is set for Friday at 4:00 p.m. Saturday's final round of time trials at 11:00 a.m. will complete the potential 43-car starting field. The Jiffy Lube 300 features live media coverage by TNN and MRN Radio and will get the green flag at 1:15 p.m. EDT on Sunday. Rusty Wallace Career Track Records NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (1.058-Mile) Date Event Car St Fn Laps $ Won Status 7/14/96 Jiffy Lube 300 Ford 17 7 300/300 $30,275 Running 7/9/95 Slick 50 300 Ford 20 6 300/300 30,925 Running 7/10/94 Slick 50 300 Ford 18 3 300/300 38,975 Running 7/11/93 Slick 50 300 Pontiac 33 1 300/300 77,500 Running Races Wins Top-5 Top-10 Poles $$$$$ Jiffy Lube 300 4 1 2 4 0 $178,125 TOTAL 4 1 2 4 0 $178,125 Lap Completion Percentage: 1,200/1,200 = 100% By Tom Roberts Public Relations