"I hope all the young drivers respect NASCAR": When Rusty Wallace reflected on the privilege of racing

Former Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace shared his admiration for NASCAR back in 2013 after being inducted into the Hall of Fame. The 69-year-old had asserted that racing is a privilege, and that the younger generation of drivers joining the field in the coming years should know how to respect the stock car racing formula the way he used to, as it is an honor to race in the series.

Wallace made his Cup Series debut in 1980 and raced for over two decades before making his last race start at the 2005 season finale. He won a respectable 55 race wins, 36 pole positions, and a championship in 1989.

With him having such elated results when he bade adieu to the sport, Wallace had a great zeal of respect for NASCAR. So, reflecting on the opportunity to race in the sport, he shared his hope of younger drivers also giving the same respect to the sport that he used to give, as he said (via ESPN):

"The thing I learned, and I said it at the driver meeting in 2005 the day I retired and walked out, I said: 'This is a privilege. This is a privilege to race in NASCAR. You don't have to do it. We're not making you do it. It's a privilege to race in NASCAR, and it's a blessing for me to be in this sport and do what I've done. I just hope all the young drivers respect NASCAR as much as I respect it and go out there and say nice things about NASCAR and help build this sport."

Meanwhile, in his 22 years of full-time racing in the Cup Series, Rusty Wallace had multiple run-ins with a myriad of drivers, but one left a major impact on him.

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Rusty Wallace talks about his scary incident with Bill France Jr. during his time in racing

Rusty Wallace at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Source: Imagn

Rusty Wallace's 55 race wins are the reward of his sheer skill and impressive racecraft. Moreover, his championship-winning season in 1989 was no different, where he showcased his extreme professionalism behind the wheel of a racecar, but he came very close to being booted out of the series by none other than the then-CEO, Bill France Jr.

Wallace had an incident with Dale Jarrett, which saw the latter driver lose control of his car. This left France Jr. infuriated, as the 69-year-old revealed to Kenny Wallace:

"They had a building, not a big red truck. Brought me in there. He said, ‘Son, this is Bill France.’ He said, ‘I’m kicking you out for life, and your day is over.'"

Rusty Wallace was left shaken by France Jr.'s words. However, he had one saving grace as the pair decided to go examine the footage together, where the former champion was acquitted, as the then-CEO said, as quoted by Wallace:

"Well, I don't see nothing. I don't see nothing here."

Meanwhile, Rusty Wallace continued remaining in touch with the racing world after his retirement as he became an analyst for ESPN first, and then joined Motor Racing Network in 2015.