"He's been an incredible mentor" - When Rusty Wallace honored Roger Penske's impact on his illustrated Nascar career

Former NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace once honored Team Penske owner Roger Penske for his help during the early years of Wallace's Cup Series career. Wallace raced for the team from 1991 till his retirement in 2005.

Wallace debuted in the Cup Series in 1980 with Penske Racing on a part-time schedule. He finished second in his first race in Atlanta. Over the next few years, he raced on a part-time basis with multiple teams, finally making his full-time debut in 1984 with Cliff Stewart Racing.

He moved to Blue Max Racing later and won his one and only Cup Series championship in 1989. The following season, he moved to Penske Racing (now Team Penske) owned by Roger Penske, where he spent his entire remaining career.

After he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2014, Rusty Wallace thanked and honored Roger Penske for acting as a mentor to him.

"I think my years in NASCAR were some of the best years NASCAR ever had. Places were mobbed out and sold out and I was winning a lot of races. People say, 'You drove at a time when NASCAR was at its peak'," Wallace said via USA Today.

"He's [Roger Penske] been an incredible mentor. I never had any car dealerships and I ran it by him for some advice and now I have seven of them," Wallace added.

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"It's time. I feel it" - When Rusty Wallace announced his retirement from NASCAR

After sharing a long career behind the wheel, Wallace announced his retirement at the end of the 2005 season on August 30, 2004.

By the time he decided on his retirement, Rusty Wallace's winning frequency had gone down. Earlier, he was a very strong driver, winning multiple races in a season. However, he remained winless for two years in 2002 and 2003, moreover, he only won one race in 2004.

Announcing his retirement, Wallace mentioned that he 'felt' it was the right time to hang up the boots.

"It's time. I feel it," Wallace said in 2004, referring to his retirement decision. "I know I'm doing the right thing and I feel good about it." (As quoted by The Gadsden Times).

Following a winless streak, Rusty Wallace still aimed to win the Great American Race, the season-opening Daytona 500, the following year.

"This is my last shot at the Daytona 500. The Daytona 500 is still the granddaddy of them all. It's the race I haven't won and I'm going to try my darndest to win it," Wallace said.

Throughout his career, Rusty Wallace won 55 Cup Series races but was never victorious at the Daytona 500. In 2005, participating in the race for the last time, he finished in 10th place.