Countdown: Missouri

The "Gateway to the West," the Show Me State was the departure point for the Lewis and Clark expedition -- and many more settlers who went west to find their fame and fortune.

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Originally part of the Louisiana Purchase, Missouri was admitted as a state in 1821 as part of the Missouri Compromise. Missouri's borders touch eight different states -- and even though the state was considered to be "southern" in Samuel Clemens' day, most people now refer to it as being in the midwest. The state's two major cities, St. Louis to the east and Kansas City to the west, are connected by the northern plains and Ozark Mountains.

Senator Bill Bradley is from Missouri, as is Gen. Omar Bradley. It's unknown if Walter Cronkite ever took a Dale Carnegie course, but they're both Missouri natives, as are Rush Limbaugh and Jesse James.

W.C. Handy's "Saint Louis Blues" is an American classic, as was Wilbert Harrison's "Kansas City", albeit in a different genre.

When it comes to Missouri and NASCAR, a racing family from St. Louis, particularly the driver nicknamed for his red hair, has shown everyone what it takes to be a legend.

Best behind the wheel

• Rusty Wallace, St. Louis

Oldest of the three racing brothers, Rusty Wallace was exposed to racing right from the start, since his father Russ raced on tracks around Missouri.

"He's the one that caused my brothers and me to catch the racing bug," Wallace said. "He and my mom did a great job of raising three sons and keeping everything in check. They're as great of parents as you could ever ask for."

Inside the Numbers Rusty Wallace's Cup career Year Starts W T5 T10 1980 2 1 1 1 1981 4 0 0 1 1982 3 0 0 0 1984 30 0 2 4 1985 28 0 2 8 1986 29 2 4 16 1987 29 2 9 16 1988 29 6 19 23 1989 29 6 13 20 1990 29 2 9 16 1991 29 2 9 14 1992 29 1 5 12 1993 30 10 19 21 1994 31 8 17 20 1995 31 2 15 19 1996 31 5 8 18 1997 32 1 8 12 1998 33 1 15 21 1999 34 1 7 16 2000 34 4 12 20 2001 36 1 8 14 2002 36 0 7 17 2003 36 0 2 12 2004 36 1 3 11 2005 36 0 8 17 Totals 706 55 202 349

Before joining the NASCAR circuit full-time in 1984, Wallace won a pair of local track championships, then was named USAC's rookie of the year in 1979.

Wallace burst onto the NASCAR scene in 1980, finishing second to Dale Earnhardt at Atlanta in his first race. He would go on to run eight more races over the next three seasons while honing his skills. In 1983, he won the American Speed Association championship, defeating future NASCAR stars Mark Martin and Alan Kulwicki.

That earned him his first full-time ride in Cup, running the No. 88 Pontiac for Cliff Stewart and earning rookie of the year honors. Since then, Wallace has put together a string of consecutive races started streak that is expected to come to an end with the 2006 Daytona 500.

"I want to go out on the top of my game," Wallace said. "I want to go out a champion, a front-runner. I still feel like I'm at the top of my game.

"I've had a wonderful career. I'm proud of all of my accomplishments."

As well he should be: 1989 Winston Cup champion; 55 Cup victories, 37 of those in a Penske car; 36 poles; an IROC championship; winner of The Winston -- and 16 consecutive seasons with at least one victory.

His last victory came at Martinsville in 2004, but consistent runs in 2005 allowed him to make the Chase for the Nextel Cup in his final season.

"I've made a lot of fans happy but there's one thing I know for sure, without me spending a lot of time with the fans and the fans supporting me, I couldn't have got where I am today, so I want to thank all the fans for supporting me," Wallace said. "A lot of them have pleaded with me not to retire, but it's time. I feel it. It's the right time and I know I'm doing the right thing, and I feel good about it."

In addition to running his Busch Series team, Wallace has a vested interest in the racing career of his son, Stephen.

He also enjoys flying, having accumulated more than 10,000 flight hours, and is an avid golfer. He acquired his pilot's license in 1984 and currently owns a Lear jet and Bell helicopter.

"Back then, we were racing on all the short tracks across the country; running the ASA and All Pro shows and the big paying, non-sanctioned races," Wallace said. "Bobby Allison was always my hero and he'd come and race with us on the short tracks.

"He had a twin-engine Piper back then and he'd always fly in there, have a ton of fun racing, and then get back in his plane and fly on off to his next stop. I always thought that was so cool back then and I really looked up to him for that and all the help he gave us through the years."

Other noteworthy drivers from Missouri

• Lloyd Dane, Eldon: Four wins in an 11-year career from 1951-1964

• Carl Edwards, Columbia: Took Nextel Cup by storm in 2005 with four wins, including season sweep at Atlanta

• Ken Schrader, Fenton: Has excelled in every type of car, with four Cup victories in 668 starts

• Jamie McMurray, Joplin: Scored a win at Charlotte during his 2002 rookie season

• Kenny Wallace, St. Louis: Nine Busch victories; won pole and finished second at Rockingham in 2001

• Mike Wallace, St. Louis: Eight total Busch and Truck wins; runner-up at Phoenix in 2001 his best effort in 180 Cup starts

We wish ...

Pro golfer Tom Watson had become a NASCAR driver.

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With eight victories in major tournaments, including five British Opens, two Masters and the 1982 U.S. Open -- when he sank a chip shot from the rough on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach -- the Kansas City native would make a perfect playing partner of Rusty Wallace.

Gone but not forgotten

• I-70 Speedway, Odessa

This .54-mile paved oval has 30-degree banked turns and hosted the Craftsman Truck Series five times between 1995-99. Tony Raines is the only two-time winner, having accomplished that feat in consecutive races (1997 and 1998).

The track was the only paved oval in Missouri when it opened in 1968. It currently hosts weekly Modified and Late Model racing.

A word from our sponsor

• Anheuser-Busch, Inc., St. Louis

The entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Busch Series and Busch East Series, Anheuser-Busch Inc. is the leading American brewer holding 50 percent of the U.S. beer market. The company is American-owned and brews the world's largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. The company is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and is the world's largest recycler of aluminum beverage containers.

In addition, NASCAR's official rental car company -- Enterprise Rent-A-Car -- is headquartered in St. Louis.