Rusty Wallace says he's tired of the week-to-week grind of Nextel Cup Series racing. Credit: Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Wallace wants to make lasting final impression

Veteran driver has many goals for final season and beyond

Rusty Wallace never said he wouldn't race again. He even wonders at times if he's making the right decision to retire from full-time NASCAR competition after the 2005 season.

When he can't sleep, Wallace stares at the ceiling in the middle of the night thinking about things he did in the past, or what he'll do when he's not racing 10 months a year.

	No rust on Wallace A summary of Rusty Wallace's Nextel Cup Series career heading into this weekend's action at Las Vegas Category Stat Starts 672 Wins 55 Top-fives 194 Top-10s 334 Poles 36 Laps Completed 194,668 Laps Led 19,713 Avg. Start 13.2 Avg. Finish 14.5 Money Earned $43,609,321

"I'm all over," he said of his thoughts. "Honestly, I'm not content at all."

But the 48-year-old Wallace is sure about one thing: He's tired of the week-to-week grind.

"I'm retiring because I'm just burnt out in the schedule," he said. "If I get through the end of 2005, and I feel like, 'Man, I'm running 3,000 mph and now they tell me I've got to stop,' I'm probably going to say let's run about 10 (races the next year). But for sure, my days of running the full schedule are over."

After one more championship chase, that is.

Wallace began this season with a 14th-place finish at the Budweiser Shootout. His 22nd Nextel Cup campaign, which has been dubbed "Rusty's Last Call," officially got underway with a 10th-place finish at the Daytona 500, the race he can't claim among his 55 wins and the one he wanted the most.

"I wanted to win this race, but that's OK," said Wallace, who started 36th and advanced all the way to fifth before dropping back. "It really isn't OK, but I told everybody if I didn't win, it wouldn't be the end of the world. ... I'm done with it. I've had a lot of fun, and I enjoy it."

Wallace, who wrecked during Daytona qualifying and had to switch to his backup car, finished in the top 10 nine times in 23 Daytona 500s.

His best finish in NASCAR's most prestigious race was third in 2001. He led another time with 10 laps to go, and in 1993 was third "with me, Dale Jarrett and (Dale) Earnhardt going for the win" when he was hit by another car and barrel-rolled down the backstretch.

"I haven't won the Daytona 500 and I doubt there's too many people out there who are not aware of that fact," said Wallace, the 1989 series champion and fourth on the career earnings list with nearly $44 million. "I got close many, many times."

Still, his farewell season is about more than that elusive Daytona win. And forget nostalgia, Wallace wants to approach 2005 like any other year.

	The No. 2 Dodge finished 10th in both races so far this season. Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
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"I'm real intent to try to win more races," he said. "I want to go out on top. I don't want to go out fading. ... I'm going to be rockin' and rollin' and go wide open all year."

Wallace has finished top 10 in season points 16 times. He ended a 105-race winless streak last year but was still 16th, two spots lower than in 2003 when a streak of 10 consecutive top-10 seasons ended.

"You always hear about the importance of making first impressions," he said. "But for us, we're determined to leave some great last impressions."

Once full-time driving is done, Wallace won't be bored.

He hopes the NASCAR Busch Series team he owns, running its first full schedule this year, will be a championship contender by 2006. He also will spend more time on his car dealership business and with 17-year-old son Stephen, an aspiring NASCAR driver who will race in the Hooters Pro Cup Series this year.

Not to mention more time with his wife, Patti, playing golf and his duties as part-owner of the Penske team.

"What I'm going to have to do is just get in and go, and figure it out as I go," Wallace said. "We'll adjust as the year goes on. I've never gone one year in my life where I've been able to plan two years ahead. For me, to plan two weeks ahead is pretty tough for me.

"There will be a lot of excitement. Sometimes there will be tears in your beer."