Rusty Wallace to compete in X Games event

NASCAR Hall of Famer will compete in Off-Road Truck race

Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live

NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Rusty Wallace will end a 10-year hiatus from competition in June when he takes part in this year’s Off-Road Truck Racing event at the X Games in Austin, Texas.

“I may be retired from driving, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have the itch to get back behind the wheel; I love to compete,” Wallace said in a statement provided by Rusty Wallace, Inc.

“Plus, the X Games are just such a big deal. During my time (as a commentator) with ESPN, I watched the X Games a lot and really enjoyed them. Some of the world’s best athletes are there. So when the opportunity came to be a part of the event, there was no way I was going to say no.”

The 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and winner of 55 Sprint Cup Series points races, Wallace retired from competition after the 2005 season. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2013, along with fellow drivers Buck Baker, Cotton Owens, Herb Thomas and noted crew chief Leonard Wood.

The 2015 X Games will be held June 4-7 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The Off-Truck Racing event is scheduled for June 7.

“It’s different than stock cars, that’s for sure, but at the end of the day, racing is racing,” said Wallace. “I grew up racing motocross as a kid and as I moved into cars, I always enjoyed racing on rough, slippery race tracks, places where you had to have a lot of car control. That description definitely applies to this style of racing.”

Wallace, 58, said he had spoken with former NASCAR driver and Off-Road Truck racer Robby Gordon about the opportunity and what he could expect. The two met earlier this week to give Wallace an idea of what was in store.

“(Gordon) was totally confident that I would be competitive in these vehicles,” he said, “and even offered to be my coach. …

“I felt really comfortable. It was a total blast to drive.”

But fun is only part of the reason behind the decision, he said.

“I’m not going down to Austin just to have fun. I’m going down there to bring home a medal.”

Wallace won his NASCAR championship while driving for former drag racing champion and NASCAR car owner Raymond Beadle. The bulk of his career, however, was spent with team owner Roger Penske, with whom he won 37 points races.

Wallace’s final Sprint Cup win came at Martinsville Speedway in 2004.

ABC and ESPN will carry live coverage of the 2015 X Games.

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