Rusty Wallace: "I don't want to have an office job and be at the shop every day." Credit: Autostock

Wallace contemplating future without Penske

'89 champion says teammate Newman is now 'totally off limits'

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Over last weekend at Phoenix International Raceway, Rusty Wallace wouldn't get pinned down on a lot of things that will happen in the next year of his racing career.

But he did confirm a buyout offer from Nextel Cup team co-owner Roger Penske was on the table and that he had given up on ever establishing a closer working relationship with teammate Ryan Newman.

	Head-to-Head Stats in the 124 races that Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman both have competed in   Wallace Newman Wins 1 11 Top 5 16 45 Top 10 48 63 Avg. Finish 16.7 15.7

Wallace said every day's become a new challenge since he announced at the end of last summer that 2005 would be his final year as a full-time Nextel Cup driver.

"There was one thing I wasn't ready for," Wallace said. "When you announce you're going to quit driving fulltime, things you never thought about start popping up -- different opportunities.

"Opportunities keep changing daily, and you've just got to take advantage of it. That's where I'm at right now.

"It's no secret I've got an offer if I want to sell my entire stock of Team Penske. I might do that. I haven't made a decision on whether I'll do that or not.

"Roger and I are greatest friends. No matter what happens, I'll still be involved -- whether I'm a coach like Rick Mears or I work with the drivers."

But Wallace made no bones about the fact that his efforts to more closely align his team with Newman's were over.

The issue has been on the front burner since last October at Martinsville Speedway, where the pair tangled in the last 10 laps while battling for top-five spots behind winner Jimmie Johnson.

Newman finished third and an irate Wallace dropped to 10th. Since then, Wallace had repeatedly stated he would try to bring the teams together. But not any more, he said.

"It's really two separate teams, totally," Wallace said. "The 77 [Travis Kvapil] and 2 share -- every tire pressure, every shock, every piece we share [but] the 12 car is totally off limits -- it's totally a separate team.

"They're at one end of the shop, and it's unfortunate. I'm resigned to the fact. I'm tired of wearing myself out trying to fix it. I'm just going to do my deal and drive my guts out and give it everything I've got.

"I've beat this 12 thing to death forever, and they've got a whole different train of thought and that's fine [because] they're putting the numbers on the board.

"That's fine. I know it's not right [but] there's nothing I can do about it. That particular question needs to be posed to Roger Penske."

Wallace said he would continue to work with rookie of the year contender Kvapil.

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"I share it with the 77," Wallace said. "I think Travis Kvapil is an awesome driver. He's a good guy, just a quality person."

Wallace said that while a couple racing events, including the Rolex 24 At Daytona sports car event, were in his future, primarily he would be involved with his own Busch Series operation, a possible television career and maintaining his close relations with sponsors.

"I love working with the sponsors," Wallace said. "I think that's one of the things I try to do best. I understand the business, and I like trying to achieve their goal and I like feeling welcome at a racetrack.

"It's no secret I'd love to do television. I love doing television a lot. I'll be doing a lot of that stuff this year. I don't know where my future will lead, but there are a lot of options out there.

"One thing I do not want to let go of is the relationship with all my sponsors, whether it's Miller or Lennox or Bar S. I want to stay actively involved with Team Penske, and Roger is crystal clear on that."

Wallace said whatever effect his relationship with Newman's operation has on his future decisions with Penske remain to be seen.

"That decision comes with my retirement," Wallace said. "If I'm going to retire I don't want to have an office job and be at the shop every day.

"I want to be on the road working with my sponsors. I want to spend more time with my wife and family and watching Steve come up. I want to spend more time golfing and doing that type of stuff.

"The role I'd like to have in the company, I don't think it would fit doing that [selling out]. Again, I want to stress I haven't made that decision -- I've got an offer to do that.

"I lay awake at nights wondering if that's what I should do. It's my decision [and] whatever happens [co-owner] Don Miller is going with me. It won't be me or him.

"If the deal goes down, it'll have to be both."