Fuel mileage pays off for Wallace on superspeedway

Looking back at Rusty Wallace's career, most of his success came on short-tracks and road courses, where he scored 30 of 55 career victories. He never visited Victory Lane at Daytona or Talladega, and just 10 wins came on tracks of two miles or longer.

But Michigan International Speedway was one track that didn't fit the normal pattern for Wallace, and that was never more evident than in the 1988 Miller High Life 400. On that day, a bad decision on pit road nearly cost Wallace the win, but a good one in the later stages of the race cemented what would be the first of his five Michigan victories.

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Starting fifth in the No. 27 Pontiac, Wallace was content to chase pole-sitter Bill Elliott and Davey Allison early on, taking the lead for the first time on Lap 46 during pit stops under caution. And as is sometimes typical at Michigan, the race stayed caution-free for the next 110 laps.

Wallace gave up the lead to Elliott when he pitted under green on Lap 86, but regained the top spot once all of the leaders came in for service. Unfortunately for Wallace, he stayed out one lap too many the second time. His Pontiac slowed coming out of Turn 2 on Lap 129, and he coasted into the pits out of fuel.

That decision would play on his mind for the rest of the race.

"I had to just keep running hard all day," Wallace said.

Wallace returned to the track, still on the lead lap but well behind Terry Labonte and the other lead-lap cars. With 50 laps remaining, he was back up to fifth, but knew he needed some good fortune to get back into contention.

That came on Lap 156, when Dale Jarrett spun and hit the wall in Turn 4, allowing Wallace to do two things: pit for a full tank of fuel and close in on the other lead-lap cars.

And when Brett Bodine blew an engine 10 laps later, Wallace and leader Dale Earnhardt were the only cars to stay out and gamble on having enough fuel to go the distance.

Wallace

"I knew the car was strong and I knew we could stay out front if I had enough gas to finish," Wallace said. "I asked if they were positive we had enough fuel on the last run. They said we did, so I just drove it hard."

Wallace went by Earnhardt two laps later and then had to worry about Elliott, who passed Earnhardt and closed up behind Wallace for the final 10 laps but was unable to get by, as Wallace crossed the finish line .28 seconds ahead.

"I could catch up to him, but in the corners, the air coming off his car was messing me up and I couldn't get there," Elliott said.

Labonte was third, followed by Earnhardt, Geoffrey Bodine and Ken Schrader, all on the lead lap. Wallace dedicated his first superspeedway win to Bobby Allison, who had been critically injured the previous week at Pocono.

"He's in a hospital," Wallace said. "I wish he was here with us."

Davey Allison was running a solid third when his engine blew on Lap 71.

"We had a little engine trouble," he said. "It's a shame. The car was running good and we thought we had our best shot at winning a race.

"I'd just like to say hello to dad at the hospital. I know he's watching. And I'd like to tell the family to hang in there. I'll be there soon."

Wallace would repeat his Michigan success for Raymond Beadle the following season, then won in '94, '96 and 2000 for Roger Penske, who coincidentally also owned the track until his sold his holdings to International Speedway Corporation in July of 1999.