T-Shirt commemorates Wallace's 600th start

On May 3, Rusty Wallace is scheduled to make his 600th consecutive NASCAR Winston Cup start in the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond International Raceway -- continuing a streak that began when he qualified High Point, NC car owner Cliff Stewart's No. 88 Gatorade Pontiac for the 1984 Daytona 500.

Wallace is only the fourth driver in history to achieve 600 starts in a row. Others are Ricky Rudd, Terry Labonte, and Dale Earnhardt.

To give some idea of Wallace's longevity, the year his streak began, Ronald Reagan was re-elected by a landslide, Mary Lou Retton won two Olympic gold medals, Richard Petty claimed his milestone 200th win, Terry Labonte outdistanced Harry Gant in the chase for the Winston Cup crown, and Michael Jackson's hair caught fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial.

Wallace actually made his first NASCAR Winston Cup appearance in March of 1980 at Atlanta. In one of the most auspicious debuts in series history, Rusty drove a Chevrolet Caprice fielded by Roger Penske to a runner-up finish behind race winner Dale Earnhardt. It was the most productive performance by a newcomer since Johnny Rutherford drove a Smokey Yunick-owned Chevrolet to victory in a 100-mile qualifying race prior to the 1963 Daytona 500.

"I never thought we could take a brand new car and a brand new driver and do that well," Wallace said in a post-race interview.

Wallace made infrequent appearances in NASCAR's top division until landing his first full time ride with Stewart in 1984. Wallace claimed rookie of the year honors that season and stayed with Stewart's outfit through the end of 1985. That's when he was tabbed to replace Tim Richmond in the Blue Max Racing Pontiacs owned by NHRA Funny Car legend Raymond Beadle.

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A five-year stint with Beadle resulted in 18 victories -- including Wallace's first triumph at Bristol in 1986 -- and the 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship.

Wallace is now in the midst of his 13th season with Penske Racing South. Thirty-six wins with that operation have pushed his victory total to 54.

Wallace's status as one of NASCAR's Iron Men is especially remarkable considering the fact that he has been involved in some of the circuit's most frightening crashes. Longtime fans will recall end-over-end flips at both Daytona and Talladega, as well as a savage practice crash at Bristol in the late 1980s that nearly disintegrated Wallace's car.

In the store

To honor Rusty Wallace's 600th consecutive NASCAR Winston Cup start, Chase Authentics has designed a special commemorative tee shirt. The shirt is adorned with the 600th Consecutive Start logo, as well as images of Wallace, the car that began the streak, and Wallace's current ride.

The Rusty Wallace 600th Consecutive Start tee shirt is now available at the NASCAR.com Store.