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Great All-Star Moment No. 6: Rusty Wallace, 1989
Written by: Tom Jensen   
04/28/2008
Harrisburg, N.C.
 
Darrell Waltrip (left) and Rusty Wallace spent most of the day chasing each other in the 1989 classic. Wallace made contact with Waltrip’s car, sending him spinning through the infield grass. (Lowe's Motor Speedway Archives Photo) » More Photos

The 1989 running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race saw the event end in controversy and rancor for the second time in three years, this time in front of a live national television audience on ABC. Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip tangled on the white-flag lap, with Wallace’s Pontiac ending up in victory lane, Waltrip incensed and fans at Lowe’s Motor Speedway booing furiously.

Waltrip, driving the Tide-sponsored Chevrolet owned by Rick Hendrick, dominated the early going by winning the first 75-lap segment. Next it was Wallace’s turn, as he took the 50-lap segment No. 2 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Then, chaos.

The two drivers started side by side in the final 10-lap segment, and heading to the white flag, Wallace’s Pontiac tagged the rear of Waltrip’s Chevrolet coming out of Turn 4, sending Waltrip sliding through the tri- oval.

The special All-Star-only rules called for restarts following a caution to be determined by the running order of the cars on the lap prior to the caution.
That led Waltrip to argue that he should restart in second place, his position on the previous lap. He was overruled and had to restart at the rear of the 18 cars still running.

When the green flag waved, Wallace led the final two laps and claimed the victory by three car-lengths over Ken Schrader, who finished second in his first All-Star appearance. Dale Earnhardt was third, followed by Bill Elliott and Alan Kulwicki. Waltrip finished seventh.

Afterwards, Waltrip was furious and the two rival crews got into a brawl in victory lane, where Waltrip’s crew went to confront Wallace’s. “Somebody bit my little brother John's ear almost off,” said Wallace's crew chief, Barry Dodson. “I think it was very unprofessional.”

Waltrip was filled with rage over the contact, which Wallace insisted was accidental. “It was an ugly, ugly win,” Waltrip said. “I hope he (Wallace) chokes on the $200,000, that’s all I can tell him. He knocked the hell out of me.”

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