‘Too Aggressive’ – When Fuming Dale Earnhardt Sr. Left Rusty Wallace Trembling After Bizarre Practice Crash in Michigan
Legendary NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt Sr. was called ‘The Intimidator’ for a reason. Unfortunately, Rusty Wallace learned it the hard way during the final practice for the Miller Lite 400 at Michigan Speedway in 1998. Wallace and Earnhardt Sr. were friends, and that possibly saved the pair in that situation, which could have gone either way in the heat of the moment.
Here’s what happened during the infamous practice session for the 1998 Miller Lite 400.
How Wallace’s Interview Dissolved the Heat With Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Wallace lost control of his car, heading into Turn 2, and tagged Earnhardt Sr. on his way into the wall. This wreck left the seven-time NASCAR champion fuming.
A heated moment followed between the pair in the garage as Earnhardt Sr. reportedly grabbed Wallace by his uniform and made some strong remarks. However, Wallace immediately apologized and took all the blame for the incident.
During an interview after the practice session, Wallace openly acknowledged his mistake, which led to an ugly wreck. “I’ll take the blame for the whole deal,” Wallace said, according to the Chicago Tribune. “The rear end got out from under me. It was my fault for trying to be too aggressive. It was the wrong time to try that.”
“Dale was real upset and I would have been too. I don’t blame him. We’re still good friends, and it’s unfortunate that it happened. If I could go back and change it, I would.” On the other side of the garage, Earnhardt Sr., who had finally calmed himself down after the wreck, said, “It’s just very frustrating when you work so hard and you tear up so many race cars like we have in the last month.”
Earnhardt Sr.’s luck had its ups and downs throughout that weekend. Both drivers drove the damaged cars back to their respective garages, and Wallace was able to repair the car he had qualified for a third-place pole position.
However, Earnhardt Sr. had to wait for his backup, forcing him to start the race from the back of the field instead of the 25th position he had already qualified in his original car. Despite the less-than-ideal starting position, the NASCAR legend fought through the field to claim an incredible sixth-place finish.
