Catchfence

Nobody ever doubted Steve Wallace’s pedigree, speed or determination in his first few years of NASCAR racing. What they did doubt was whether he had earned a full-time seat driving for his father’s company, Rusty Wallace Inc.

A nagging lack of consistency and poor decision making constantly drew Wallace’s abilities in a negative light. 2009, however, has been a different story. Wallace has seen the top-10 in standings twice this season — first after Darlington in May, and again after a sixth-place finish at Milwaukee last Saturday night.

A variable working to Wallace’s favor in Milwaukee was the addition of Trip Bruce atop the pit box. Last season’s NASCAR Truck Series Championship-winning crew chief adds some experience and leadership to a team on the verge of winning, at least according to the No. 66’s team owner.

“This move allows us to further strengthen the human capital which our team possesses,” Rusty Wallace said. “Trip (Bruce) is a proven champion in the Truck Series; when we found that he was available, we looked at this as a way to add yet another high-caliber individual to the foundation that we’ve built with Dale Ferguson and the rest of our team.”

- Speedwaymedia.com