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Wallace improved from 12th fastest on Monday to eighth quickest during a rain-shortened practice session.
Wallace's team co-owner, Roger Penske, has a record 13 wins in the Indianapolis 500, including the last three Indy car events with Helio Castroneves in 2001-02 and Gil de Ferran in 2003.
Penske has never won the Brickyard 400, however, and Wallace wants to deliver.
"Well, it's always real important," he said, about driving and winning for Penske. "I always want to win for myself, and my team number one, but it makes it extra special if you can go out and win for Roger, too.
"He'd love to win a stock car race here, no doubt about it. He talks about it all the time. I just hope I'm the team member that can pull it off for him."
Wallace's teammate, second-year driver Ryan Newman, won Sunday's Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, but Wallace extended a winless streak that stretches back to 2001.
Wallace certainly has one of the most coveted resumes in NASCAR Winston Cup Racing: A series championship (1989) and 54 career wins. He would be happy to score win 55 any given weekend, but the 2003 Brickyard 400 would be special.
Wallace has finished second at Indy three times, in 1995, 2000 and 2002 -- the most of any driver. He led 110 laps in 2000 and 12 in the closing laps of the 2002 race. Wallace is confident 2003 could be the year.
"I'm real excited to be back at the Speedway," he said. "It's monotonous here testing, I've got to tell you, because you're in and out of the car ten thousand times it seems like.
"We built a brand new car. We brought it here. We've wind tunneled it. It looks great in the wind tunnel and right off the bat I told the guys, 'This has got to be one of the best feeling cars that I've ever unloaded with.'"
A.J. Foyt IV, the grandson of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, took his first competitive laps at the Indianapolis 500 in May, and on Monday, A.J. Foyt's son, Larry, got his chance to turn laps on the oval that made his father famous.
It was an emotional day for both Larry, a Winston Cup rookie of the year candidate, and A.J.
"My first lap around here was very special," Larry Foyt said. "I've seen so many races here, and I remember my dad waving to us in Turn 2, and it was very special to run on the same track he did.
"It (speedway) is pretty unique. I've been coming here for a long time, but it's a whole different story when you strap in the car. I'm finally seeing and experiencing the things that I've heard my dad talk about for so long."
A.J. Foyt said Monday was a day of adjustments.
"It's a brand-new car and Larry's learning the track," A.J. said. "The car is not behaving itself. There's a lot of push in it, and we're working on the chassis and making a lot of changes.
Larry was 23rd of 23 drivers on Tuesday, posting a time of 170.145 mph.
"I'm glad both Anthony (Foyt IV) and Larry got to race at a track that has meant so much to me in my career. There's only one Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and it's the track that made my name and a lot of others. Indy's very special to me."
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| Christian Fittipaldi returned to Indy this week. Credit: Autostock |
Petty Enterprises driver Christian Fittipaldi turned his first laps at Indy since 1995 on Monday. Fittipaldi won 1995 Indianapolis 500 Bank One Rookie of the Year honors after starting 27th and finishing second for Walker Racing.
"I hadn't been back here since '95, when I finished second in the race," said Fittipaldi. "It's a big difference, definitely. The speedway did an awesome job upgrading its facilities. I had never seen the Formula One track (or) all the other upgrades here in the facility. It's definitely world-class stuff here."
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