Rusty Wallace will be back racing after 21 years since his last full-time NASCAR season, and he recently got his hands on the Pontiac Firebird he will be driving in Washington, D.C., on August 22.
As part of IndyCar’s Freedom 250 grand prix weekend, IROC (International Race of Champions) will hold an exhibition race featuring NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace, and Bill Elliott, as well as Indy 500 winners Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan, and Dario Franchitti.
Wallace got the opportunity to drive the car, and while he initially felt he had probably lost some of his racecraft, he was badly mistaken. When in conversation with Mike Bagley on the “NASCAR Live” podcast, the 1989 Cup champion was asked how he felt getting back into the racecar.
“When the engine fired up, sitting in the garage, and with my helmet on and all the stuff… came down pit road, coming through first gear, second gear, and I’m like, wow, it’s starting to feel normal again,” Wallace said on the podcast.