Incredible Story: How Dale Earnhardt's Death Affected Rusty Wallace's Retirement 

I grew up watching this era of greats racing each other and I so miss those times. It’s just not the same, and it will never be the same, today or ever. Rusty, Earnhardt, Jarrett, Mark Martin, all those guys - truly a “golden era” of NASCAR.

What I can’t believe is Junior is almost the age his dad was when he passed. Great convo with ur bro.

Dale Jarrett-RustyWallace-Dale Earnhardt-Terry Labonte-Mark Martin- IMO, these guys kept you glued to the TV. These were MEN- not 18 year old silver spoons.. NASCAR needs to evaluate why they are where they are in attendance. God, I miss seeing Midnight on the track, especially at Bristol

Rusty was my guy when I first started watching NASCAR in the early 90’s. His battles with Earnhardt were epic! Thanks for sharing this!

Kenny I’m happy to see you have an absolute NASCAR icon on! I know he’s your brother but Rusty is one of the pillars that NASCAR was built on! Rusty and Penske go hand in hand, Rusty and the MGD #2, Rusty and the Kodiak car that he won his championship in is iconic. Even Rusty in the Miller Lite car is iconic!! He is what NASCAR was built on. I will always be a super fan of Rusty and loved how he raced!!

I got into NASCAR in 1999 so I had to watch alot of old races to understand the rivalry but never saw it in real time in its prime. I became a fan of Rusty in 2000 when i noticed he kept winning all the poles and leading what seemed like 10,000 laps a race that year. But what made me respect him was he never backed down from Earnhardt, Gordon or anyone. He was a all around talent BUT to me almost more importantly a GREAT NASCAR personality back when NASCAR personalities was at a all time high imo from 2006 on back. I miss Rusty Wallace to this day.

I live in South Florida and a buddy of mine was into deep sea fishing and often visited the Florida keys. I think it was in the 90’s but can’t remember to be honest. He said one time he was at a Marina in the keys and he looked over seen Dale Earnhardt on the dock near his boat. He said hello and introduced himself. Said he was a fan and told Dale to enjoy his day fishing or whatever he was doing. Dale said hang on a minute and went in his boat and came back and handed my buddy a bottle of Dale Earnhardt Sunscreen. My friend still has it to this day.

Thanks for sharing. Love "this is what really happened" stories. One of my most "good" memorable times being a race fan was watching Rusty and Sr. running side by side at Richmond for like 30 laps straight. So hard you couldn't read the numbers on the doors. I'm not even sure if it was even for the lead, just good racing. Gosh, I miss good racing.

To hear someone as accomplished as Rusty call him Mr France, shows what kind of guy he was, respect, the sport, and a lot of people really miss him. 😢 Great stories Herman!

Rusty looks really good. I was a huge Earnhardt fan and my best friend was a huge Rusty fan. The 80’s and 90’s were awesome! Thanks Rusty for the memories.

Kenny , i was at Talladega for the no Bull. I saw it. I had my 3 hat on and knew you were behind dale. If you ended up winning that day i was good with it. In other words i wouldn't have been pissed. You have always been such a good clean driver and of course no one had a personality like yours. Good interview with Rusty. Thanks

Grew up watching Rusty, Dale, Dale, Daryl, Ricky, Mark, Terry, Bobby, and Jeff battling it out week after week. Rusty was always my favorite. Finally got to meet him in south bend Indiana before a Michigan race one year. I miss watching them guys so much.

Rusty was always an exciting driver to watch. His Miller Genuine Draft car was as iconic a Stock Car paint scheme as there ever was. Just want to THANK YOU both for all the INCREDIBLE NASCAR memories. Always a Fan...

Watching Earnhardt and Rusty race was such great racing, Dale usually won, but Rusty kept coming back again and again he didn’t lay down, these guys were racers to the core!!! All the respect for both!

I was a fan of Rusty . Dale and Rusty had trust between them They new how to race each other . Just like Martinville . Rusty started 23 Dale started 28 , Rusty waited until Dale got on his bumper and to the front they came

I was never much of a Rusty Wallace fan as a young Earnhardt fan but as I’ve gotten older I have gained a lot of respect for some of the old greats like him, Martin, Gordon, etc. You guys made the sport and represented it with class.

Thank you Kenny you and your family are awesome. Keep the interviews coming.

Rusty is my absolute favorite driver of all time. He was a fierce competitor and man do I miss him in the track. MGD 2 forever!!

Thanks for the memories guys. I was a big Rusty Wallace fan and Kenny being his brother I always wanted to see you run good.

My best friend was a 2 fan and I was a 3 fan. We went to races all over for 35 years. The memories our back and forth are priceless! Thank you Rusty!

Rusty was the driver I pulled for from '89 till he retired. Some great years back then watching those races. Glad he made it out and has enjoyed his retirement. Dale was the evil villain (race fan wise :) back in those days. The day he died, was so unbelievable. I watched the next race, then tuned it out the rest of the year. It sucked, just wasn't the same without this guy my friends and I used to curse at on TV. I watched Rusty's fairwell season, then that was it for many years. Still follow it, but rarely ever watch a race unless its the 500, Talladega, or a Bristol. RIP Dale...you really are missed.

Got into nascar in 1987. Davey allison was my favorite, and after watching the races that year, davey and dale were my 2 favorite drivers. After davey passed away, rusty and dale were my favorite drivers. Awesome to hear this stuff. Love you too kenny, love your personality and what you brought too. Nothin but love and respect to all drivers honestly.

Wow, what a thing to do right after Dale is pronounced dead. I sure would like to hear what Rusty was saying to Dale, that night in Bristol, after the water bottle toss. Great conversation Herman.

Some of the best race party's we ever had! 93 & 94 my roommate was a Rusy fan , of course I loved Dale. Incredible times with friends.

Dale was the reason I got into NASCAR, back in his Wrangler days. Rusty was my second favorite. I'd always be watching to see where the 3 and 2 cars were running in the field. Lots of ❤!

Thank you Kenny you’re a mans man, Dale was my man and I can tell how much he meant to you. I appreciate the fact that continue to discuss Dale and please don’t let his memory ever die. Thanks Kenny love you man.

Thanks for sharing this interview. I am 42 years old now but I grew up being a huge Rusty Wallace fan. That white and blue car and the black and yellow car were way more iconic to me than any other car, and still are. I was pretty bummed when Rusty retired. I loved that Rusty could start at the tail of the feild and be running up front in no time at all. When he retired my new guy became Jeff Gordon until he retired. That was the same year Kyle Busch broke both legs and came back to win multiple times and win the championship. I already liked Kyle so it was natural for me to join Rowdy Nation. Now still a big KFB fan and will be until he retires.

This was a nice interview. The 90s was truely an awesome time to be a race fan in Nascar and I had the pleasure to be in those seats and taking it all in. So many memories I had between Earnhardt and Wallace. These two always seem to intertwine at some point either on the track or off the track. Just start with the numbers literally...both distinguishing black cars: #2 & #3. Highly visible sponsors. In 1993 Rusty won 10 races but Dale won his #6 championship. When Rusty switch to Fords he won 8. Dale still end up winning #7. Both were real competitors but had true sportsmanship. I still remember at the end of the '93 season both Dale and Rusty saluted Alan and Davey who passed away that year by holding a flag each as both were going on the track slowly. That was so respectful & thoughtful of those two to do that. But other then that, it was business on race day. The tumble in '93 at Daytona for Rusty was scary. But then when Earnhardt took him out at Talladega at the start and finish line at the end of the race was equally shocking. Earnhardt looked so dejected afterewards and went to check up on him. You can tell he didn't want that to happen to Rusty by the tone of his voice during the interview. Anyone remember the water bottle episode at Bristol? That was such a laugh but it created such an uproar in the crowds that the following weekend it was still being talked about. The battle lines were clearly drawn. FORD VS CHEVY! Earnhardt fans vs Rusty fans. The jeers and the cheers. The place I use to go to always was at MIS. The June race would be the Miller Genuine Draft 400. Illustrations by Sam Bass would always have a nice cover design to show the #2 car. Which I still have all of them to those that I went to. Here Rusty had the edge over Earnhardt. Rusty was always running well but Dale would struggle if he didn't get fresh tires at every pit stop. I got to see Rusty winning there however, best I seen Dale do was finish 2nd in 2000 behind Stewart. The one uncanny ability Earnhardt had though was how fast he would March forward (till his tires gave up). He could start in 38th but in 15 laps he's in the top 25. I thought that was simply amazing. But then he would start slowly be losing spots till the next pit stop occurs. Just wish he was able to conserve his tires a little bit. But it is a race after all. Good times!

One of the best drivers ever! A lot if talent and a tough guy

Rusty was my driver. He was amazing to watch. When Earnhardt passed then Rusty left Nascar went down the tubes. Hope Rusty is doing well. Thank you Rusty for all the great entertainment. I have the Rusty`s last call leather coat hanging in my closet. It was a sad day when he retired 😢

Interviews like this are golden Herm.

Rusty Wallace, A certifiable wheelman, A gladiator & in my respectful opinion , an underrated tough customer. The Black Miller lite ford Taurus an iconically menacing looking racecar.

Thank you both so much for sharing this with all of us race fan's. We appreciate 🙏 it very much. Thank you for the interview Kenny and thank you for opening up with us Rusty.

I remember, this was back when the internet was just starting, back in the AOL dial up days, my nephew was a huge Rusty fan. Living in the Northwest, we didn't have access to NASCAR merch. I got on the internet (AOL) and searched for Rusty's fan club. Found a St. Louis area number and gave it a call. Well, your dad answered the phone, and we had a great small-town conversation. He let me know that mom was running whatever that fan club thing was, but she was out grocery shopping. As dad and I were talking, the Mrs came home, and he handed her the phone so we could talk. I remember it like it was yesterday. Just 2 sweet, wonderful people who, I felt anyway, as if they had never met a stranger. Anyway, ended up with some merch and gave it to my nephew for his 8th or 9th birthday and I became his favorite uncle.

I love Rusty! He’s a good old boy. Tough as nails. I thought Rusty was gonna whip him at Bristol in 96

I liked Dale but I was a Rusty fan as a 7 year old in the early 90s because the Miller Pontiac looked so damn mean

God I miss Rusty,Ricky,Dale,Mark, Davey and all them boys going at it...

Rusty , When you stopped racing I stopped watching NASCAR. Now that is a TRUE Rusty Wallace Fan. God Bless You Rusty. and R.I.P. Dale.

Wish the blue deuce #2 miller lite car was still on the track.

Man, what a haunting story...........but a great one. Thanks Kenny, and thank you Rusty, for sharing that with us. God Bless you both and your families.

Rusty was the 1st driver I rooted for. I was devastated when he retired, but understood. We got married on his cruise the year he retired. That was so much fun!! Miss him a lot and now my driver since Rusty left is retiring. I think I'll just be a NASCAR fan for now. 🏁🏁🏁🏁

Thanks Kenny !!! That was great and very moving to hear Rusty's take on the whole situation. I always felt that Rusty just didn't have anyone to play with anymore. Kinda empty out on the track for him without Dale.

My Dad was a Rusty fan so naturally I was too. I don’t think he ever got the credit he deserved, one of the best to ever do it

Love these conversations, miss Dale. Thank you Rusty for sharing. Thanks KW

This great interview Kenny with Rusty. Had to be heart breaking Dales passing. So hard on racing community.. for us thst saw dale comr up from Short tracks and struggle to make it so big . The common mans hero. For those of you that knew him personally it has to be so hard. I miss rusty on the track . Saw him finish second at Atlanta Early on driving for Penske then hsving to go back down and work his way back to superstardom. On the other hand . I'm so glad rusty still here .

Always been a fan of the Wallace brothers I was in both fan clubs

One thing I would like you to ask, Rusty, Darrel, and other old time drivers is the full containment seats we have now. Would they have been able to drive more. Rudd flips at Daytona is almost out of the car. And the HAN's do they wish they had it in their career and yours too.

As a diehard Earnhardt Sr fan from the last 80’s, early 90’s, I always like Rusty. I still have diecast cars, posters, and even a numbered limited edition race wax of Rusty’s Miller Genuine Draft number 27 Pontiac car. Both were great drivers, and great ambassadors to the sport.

Miss this guy on Sundays man. We need more personalities in NASCAR.

Watching that 2 car was my childhood. I was so down when the 2006 Daytona 500 came. I was 22 and for the 1st time since i was 6, i didnt have a driver. Thought id follow Kasey Kahne but noticed i kept looking for the 2 car. At that moment I became a Kurt Busch fan. Him winning at Bristol gave me that same feeling as the countless times i saw Rusty win. Bristol of all places. Im 39 now and was thrown into that same 2006 feeling again when Kurt crashed at Pocono. Today im slightly a Reddick fan but more a fan of just watching. My 6 year son is getting into it now. Same age as I was. Funny how life works.

I love hearing these stories Herman like a time capsule i miss all you guys behind the wheel Nascar has changed alot most of all my favorites have retired, i really Miss D.W. up in the Booth really nice seeing your brother Rusty on here id love too see you & D.W. go over some nascar history & memories you two are a couple live wires that be a great Stream God bless 💪🇺🇸🙏

Amazing interview, thank you to both of you for your honesty. The truth is so powerful and compelling, I love hearing these kinds of life/racing stories directly from the folks involved. You are doing a great service to all race fans who care so much for all of our favorite drivers, and members of the racing community. We all are passionate about the same things and hearing these elements makes us continue to feel like part of the big racing family. Thank you.

Love that picture (1:23) --- Miss those days!

Thank you for this interview Kenny. Rusty and Dale senior two grates.

I think you both made each other better It was great racing when you guys went at it I really miss it Take care

Great interview Kenny..!!

My 2 favourite NASCAR drivers, Dale senior and Rusty

Brad was in the 2 car for along time and won a lot of races but still he never cast a shadow as big as Rusty did.

that's Real Talk Rusty and Ty for being open and honest. as a Dale Earnahrdt fan, i was real rough on Rusty Wallace trackside and with his fans. looking back now with 20/20 vision i wished i'd shown you more respect, a missed opportunity for myself. because of that bad behavior, in 2023 i do apologize to you Rusty, your wife Patty and your fans. i never knew you and Sr were close like that. ignorance not being excusable i am truly sorry.

1995 the Bristol Night race was very heated for Both Rusty and Dale. Rusty was gonna fight with Dale in the infield but didn't happened. Both drivers at the time were rivals until Gordon came along.

I'll never forget the day Dale died. I grew up in Cambridge watching Matt Kenseth, my family and friends were racers and some still are after 45 years. Jefferson Speedway. Columbus 151, Madison International, Slinger, and Rockford Speedway. I was the biggest Dale Sr. Fan. That day I took everything down and packed it away. My Dale memories are still packed away. I met Kenny at Madison International for a big event that had Matt Kenseth, Kenny Wallace, Kenny Schrader, Dick Trickle, and Joe Sheer? It was 1996 or so when Matt was just starting to come up. It was an extreme OMG moment for me. I got all of the autographs and got Trickle's on his ROY NASCAR trading Card. Thank you for the memories Kenny. Thank Rusty for me for pushing Dale to beat the best. ✌❤🏁🏆

Great story! Been watching NASCAR on TV since I was a kid in the '60s, when all you got to see was a few short highlight clips of the Daytona 500 on Wide World of Sports. Was watching the Daytona 500 in '79 during the big blizzard, and have watched pretty-much every Cup race since then. Was always a huge Dale Sr fan, but I was also a Rusty fan & loved watching 'em race each other!

As a lifetime fan of Dale I have a lot of respect for Rusty. There were a lot of races he should have won if not Dale. The #3 would find a way to get by the Blue #2 in the last lap or the last corner. Rusty would be fighting mad sometimes. Their friendship was strong enough to get past it though. Kudos to Rusty and you too Herman.❤

Thanks for sharing that... I was always a Mark Martin fan and fan of the old ASA drivers. I feel you should enjoy the time you raced and how the sponsors and fans supported the sport.. I was one of them! When u finished second behind Mikey Waltrip that day, I was happy for both of you, but broken on the news we later heard .

Dale and Rusty side by side lap after lap was the best racing ever!

Just seeing this. Our house used to be interesting come Sundays because I was a Rusty fan, and my husband was an Earnhardt fan.

Perfect example of leaving the drama on the the track

As an Earnhardt fan I’ve always respected the Wallace’s especially Kenny and Rusty

Everytime I hear these Earnhardt stories I get choked up. And I wasn't even an Earnhardt fan.

Good one Kenny

Rusty Wallace was always my driver. That Midnight car was badass

Never the same after dale passed and rusty retired rusty was my favorite driver and met him many times he was great too

Loved this discussion! Rusty’s view almost nobody has ever heard. Ken, great interview!

Luv the interview “Tittering” the conversation with Bill F. before Dale Sr passed Wow. Thanks for sharing all the best to you & your family. The Wallace brothers always entertaining…

Sir Wallace! Great stories. Its awesome to hear from Rusty!

Long time Wallace fan. You 3 are all class acts. Keep up the good work Herman

Thanks I will always appreciate Rusty He was my favorite driver I started watching probably 1990 or 91. Or so Rusty was coming on strong 93 was insane. With the 10 wins. And the flips and rolls at both super speedways .. I love the #2. Or the rule was you hated the #3. Rusty fans and Dale fans. Did not get along. But That was part of the show !!! I’m glad he is still here and telling stories “like these”. O and after he retired I tried liking another driver. And I couldn’t do it the way I felt. When Rusty Wallace was racing!! Some say it best …when Dale died so did NASCAR. Thank for the video Kenny

I thought I had heard every story, damn I was wrong. great show guys

I was and always will be a Rusty Wallace fan and also huge fan of Kenny and Mike too. My bucket list is still to have an opportunity to meet and talk with Rusty and Kenny sometime. Enjoy following all you do Kenny and would love to get the chance to hang and drink a beer together. I am pretty sure Rusty and I are the same age. Great job and keep doing what you do.

Wow - what a story

Being a little kid, I loved both Dale and Rusty.

I was present at Bristol when Dale won his first race, I was eleven. Finally met him at my college, UNCW, where he signed autographs in '92. Wished I had met Rusty.

When Rusty started, every one of his cars was a 'hot rod' or a 'rocket ship.' I always thought he was the one guy who gave as much as he took, but he was a clean driver for the most part - The Winston in 1989 an exception maybe. He was a passionate man about racing and maybe the one thing that impacted his career was trying to drive and be the crew chief at the same time. He mentioned here not winning but having a bunch of second place finishes his final year. He actually finished second once - but had 15 top tens. He proved he could still do it and while maybe he did retire a couple of years too early, at least he left under his own terms and not by fading away.

Was 11 in 2002. My dads friend in Earnhardt gear, his daughter, & i went shopping for the Daytona 500. Clerk asked about my driver. Read the name on a poster, was RW.

My two favorite drivers are the 2 and the 3. I really miss those days of racing

In Knoxville we love Rusty! I get the feeling he doesn't understand how good he was and how many fans he actually had

Good show Kenny I miss Dale Earnhardt sr ❤❤

Rusty, you're the man. You had several good years left. But you're here, and the sport does need you. 2 car forever

I was 23 and just moved to Nashville from NW of Chicago (best move ever) and hung out with my current manager now as friends and watched that Daytona race as a huge Dale fan. After the race they just went to the next show on TV without ANY coverage of what had happened or how he was... Saw Schrader go to his car waving the paramedics and was like WTF?! I tried every MSM channel I could find to get some kind of answer and nothing... Buddy had already left. My dad who was also a big Dale fan called and asked if I'd heard? Told me he died. I instantly went to tears and I was like 23 at the time. I said umm holy shit, I gotta go and went upstates and friggin cried like a damn baby. I'll never forget it. I got him to sign my Brickyard 400 die cast car the year before with pit passes. I'll NEVER sell that thing. What a walking talking icon he was. RIP Dale. GREAT interview, Kenny I used to watch you and Ken and Michael every night on SPEED CHANNEL show you were on and y'all were so fun and entertaining to watch. Rusty... Clearly an icon too. You Dale and Darrell were so great to watch battle! Thanks to all involved in the excitement of the day that sadly just isn't the same ♥️. Hope y'all see this

Rusty was the first driver I pulled for when I first got into racing…my ex pulled for Dale Sr and we had some interesting battles ourselves while we would watch those two racing! Good times!

THANK YOU ! THANK YOU ! THANK YOU !

I've never thought about it but I wonder if NASCAR today would be the way it is now if Earnhardt was still alive.

Rusty in Midnight MGD was always my favorite car. Dale and Rusty are in my hall of fame.

Kenny, tell Rusty he is missed on the racetrack. I understand why he retired, and I think he went out at just the right time. I saw in a video that Rusty said he liked the Miller Genuine Draft paint scheme the best, I agree with him. It's a cool looking race car for sure. Rusty was also a great spokesperson and ambassador for the sport. His opinion was always respected by Nascar, and they always knew what he was thinking. Good, bad or indifferent.

Great show,,, always have admired kenny,Rusty,,super cool guys that added a great deal to NASCAR as I remember,,,I just lost interest after Dale Sr. Was gone,,,,that tragic day I was wearing a brand new number 3 shirt , eating birthday cake with my dad,son , family,,,cheering him to victory,,,,,it was my birthday and I will never forget it,,,,,Feb 18 long live the king!!!!! Thank you for what you do ,,,it's a great show

I saw Rusty win 4x in person,including his last win,#55, at Martinsville. An all-time great, for sure.

Great to see Rusty. He was my driver back in the day. #mgd #2

Rusty is so honest and humble Losing Dale made me stop watching Thanks for the memories you guys it was fun

I spent so much time rooting against Rusty. When he retired I quit watching. Turns out I loved Rusty more than I thought.

I'm not even going to lie..I quit Nascar after Rusty retired