Retired NASCAR champion driver Rusty Wallace of St. Louis returns to big-time racing, but moves to a new seat. Wallace is in the broadcast booth for ESPN’s coverage of races in NASCAR’s top; series. He did his first broadcast of a NASCAR Cup race last weekendd at Indianapolis at the Brickyard 400 . [ Photos ]
He’s teamed with Dr. Jerry Punch, who anchors the broadcasts, and Andy Petree, a former crew chief for Dale Earnhardt, Sr.
Wallace says he’s practiced for his new role by helping in last year’s broadcasts of Indy Racing League open-wheel races, and by broadcasting several lower-level NASCAR races. But he admits the latter job has had its difficult moments because his son, Steven, races in that series and drives cars Rusty Wallace owns. But Punch says Wallace has shown professional discipline and composure in the broadcast booth when things have gone wrong on the track for his son.
Wallace won 55 NASCAR Premier Series races in 706 starts. He’s 8th on the all-time list of NASCAR winning drivers. He finished in the top ten in almost half of his starts and won the championship of NASCAR’s top division in 1989 and finished in the top ten in points 17 times in a 25-year career.
Before his broadcast of the Brickyard 400, Wallace, Punch, and Petree met with other reporters covering the event. We have attached excerpts of comments from Wallace and Punch to this article.
Columbia’s Carl Edwards and Joplin’s Jamie McMurray continue their turn-around seasons after a disappointing 2006 in which both failed to make the “Chase for the Cup,” the last ten races of the season in which only the top drivers qualify to compete for NASCAR’s top championship.
McMurray was involved in an eight-car wreck on the 45th lap. He was able to get back onto the track after extensive repairs by his crew and re-entered the race in 38th place. He finished the day 21 laps down, in 33rd place, gaining fifteen important points in the standings. 
Both Edwards and McMurray drive for Jack Roush, who fields three other cars in the series. The day before the race, Roush met with Missourinet news director Bob Priddy at McMurray’s hauler in the Indianapolis Speedway infield parking area for a candid conversation about Edwards and McMurray. The interview is attached to this story. 
