"He's great, but he's not Tony Stewart great" - Insider questions Rusty Wallace's NASCAR legacy based on crown jewel wins

NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi let slip a controversial take, comparing Rusty Wallace's legacy to that of 3x Cup champion Tony Stewart. Bianchi suggested that Wallace's resume was somewhat lacking and didn’t quite measure up to the former Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner.

In the latest episode of The Teardown following William Byron's win, Jeff Gluck and Bianchi debated whether the Daytona 500 had lost some of its prestige. Gluck argued that luck now plays a larger role in determining the winner than pure driver skill. However, they concluded that winning the crown jewel race was better than not having it on a driver's resume.

Gluck and Bianchi also reflected on NASCAR legends who never won the Daytona 500 and how it impacted their legacies. The list included Hall of Famers like Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, and Rusty Wallace, among others. However, Bianchi interrupted the discussion, arguing that Wallace wasn’t in the same league as the 'great drivers'.

"I think this race is at a point now where, if you don't win it people aren't going to be like, 'Well yeah, but he never won the Daytona 500'. Because [...] it's not the truest test of driver talent traditionally...You're going to say, somebody had a great career, but they never won a Daytona 500," Gluck said. [from 31:08]

"How many great drivers have not won this race, Tony Stewart obviously hasn't won," with Gluck suggesting Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace, to which Bianchi replied, "Rusty Wallace, I will contend this, his resume is a little thin."

Wallace, the 1989 NASCAR Cup Series champion, amassed 55 career victories, including a crown jewel win at Charlotte Motor Speedway. However, Bianchi argued that many of the former Penske driver’s wins came on short tracks, making his overall career less impressive than Tony Stewart's (3x champion, 49 Cup victories, and two crown jewel wins).

"Most of them were on like three or four tracks, most of them were short tracks. This is facts, he has got one crown jewel win to his credit. One!" he said about Wallace, before concluding, "He's great but he's not like Tony Stewart great."

Notably, both Stewart and Wallace are inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

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NASCAR insider admits Daytona 500 is no more a test of greatness

The Daytona 500 is the biggest race on the NASCAR calendar, with a victory in the Great American Race cementing a driver's legacy in stock car racing history. Champions of the sport, including Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson, have all tasted success in this prestigious crown jewel event.

Jeff Gluck suggested that the Daytona 500 is no longer a true test of greatness, given how pack racing has evolved over the years. He argued that NASCAR's other crown jewel events like the Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400, and Southern 500 better showcase a driver's skill.

"I mean the test of greatness is like Brickyard 400s, Southern 500s, Coke 600s. This is not a test of greatness, Daytona 500," Gluck said [from 34:27].

Gluck pointed out that Kyle Larson, who has traditionally struggled on superspeedways, still aspires to win the Daytona 500 due to its immense prestige. Other championship-winning drivers still seeking their first victory include Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and Martin Truex Jr.