AMAZIN' RACE
A Short Chat with Rusty Wallace
and Shawna Robinson
By Kevin Ma
June 5, 2002 --
New York, NY - Most of the time you see them racing stock cars around ovals, but this time around they were watching the race - a puppy race in exact. In between the MBNA 400 at Dover and the Pocono 500, Rusty Wallace and Shawna Robinson stopped by New York as the grand marshals of the Beggin' Strips Amazin Bacon Race at South Street Seaport in Downtown, Manhattan. There were three puppies participated in the race, and 'Bandit' from American Humane Association was the winner. 'Bandit' also brought the charity a check of $5,000 from his victory.
Like your typical Winston Cup races, the puppy race attracted kids and animal lovers to this obstacle course at the open space of South Street Seaport. After the fun-filled event, Wallace and Robinson dropped by and talked about their stock car races, as well as the puppy race.
KEVIN MA: Rusty, compare to the tracks you run at Pocono and Dover, how do you see this obstacle course in Downtown, Manhattan?
RUSTY WALLACE: It's a lot different than Pocono and Dover that's for sure. We are here raising some money for the good charitable organizations that really support dogs. I'd say it's a perfect place to having it down here. We have two or three thousands people staying around watching a bunch of kids having a great time. This is the first time ever I'm doing anything like this. Last year I was in Purina's dog calendar with a lot of celebrities, my wife and I and four dogs, so they asked me to come down to support it, I did and we had a great time. This is a 20-race tour, these dogs are going to go to twenty markets around the United States, and at the very end the dog who has accumulated the most points is going to be awarded the Beggin' Cup, just like our Winston Cup trophy at the end of the year, so it is going to be exciting. It's all about drawing attention and making some money for these charitable clauses.
KM: What about the general setup for this race and the races you run?
RW: It's hard to compare what we did and this. These guys will be transporting all these equipment around the country. It's a lot of work to set up all the equipment, have all the people, the dog trainers, and all the personnel that make this happen. It's very very hard what we do, but equally as hard of what they're doing.
KM: The latest buzz of Winston Cup racing is the rising of the 'young guns', it seems like the young drivers are stealing all the thunder at this point. As a veteran, what's your opinion on this matter?
RW: There is nothing you can do about it right now. That's the hype, that's what people are excited about at the moment and like talking about it. I don't know the fans are that much excited about it, but the media is talking about the younger crowds, which is ok. I've signed another three-year contract with my team, I'll driving with my team for another three years at least, and then I probably run a race team and do things like that with Mr. [Roger] Penske, my car owner right now. My new teammate, the kid named Ryan Newman is a pretty young guy, he is doing really well out there himself, so we've got a young gun working for us also.
KM: The talk of the moment within general racing is the controversial finish at the Indianapolis 500. Have you talked to your team owner Roger Penske about it?
RW: Oh yeah, we've talked a lot about it. They led the race for a long long time and when the caution flag fell, he [Helio Castroneves] was leading the race, so they won the race. There is not much controversy about it. It was an awful close finish going into that last turn, whether it was going to be Paul Tracy or whether it was going to be Helio Castroneves, but when it was all set and done Castroneves was leading the race when the caution flag flew, and that's the rule, so he won and Roger got another Indy 500 victory at his ongoing list of victories.
KM: What's your outlook for the rest of the year?
RW: My outlook for the rest of the year is very very good. I hope we'll win real quick because I am getting tired of hearing this young gun stuff. I am ready to get out and knock some victories down and win my second Winston Cup championship.
KM: Shawna, when are you going to get back to your car?
SHAWNA ROBINSON: Daytona. Our season is just getting ready to start. I only ran six events so far this year, and we are doing a total of 25. We are going to race at Daytona, Chicago, and then pretty much everything from then on.
KM: Is it helping to have a veteran driver such as Ron Hornaday to sort out whatever problems you had in your car?
SR: It helps to sort out whatever we were with the program, and that was basically done to get more information to put a veteran driver in the seat with the rookie crew chief, whereas we are getting together with two rookies basically. We're on help to verify that what I am saying about the car, and how he [Hornaday] senses things and what his feeling, and makes suggestions. That's why we are on to Michigan next week because we are kinda need to go back to home plate and work on a lot of different areas of the car aerodynamically, and when we come out in Daytona and Chicago, we'll be better directed.
KM: This is your first year in Winston Cup race. What are the differences running in the Winston Cup race and the cars you ran before?
SR: There are not many differences running the ARCA race or a Busch race compare to Winston Cup. You have the same mindset and the same direction. The adjustment is starting with a new team, the whole team gelling together and the owner with BAM racing. It was a huge step for them to create this team late into the year we did -- five weeks before Daytona, and they are very dedicated to the direction of the team and being in Winston Cup. They felt that was the area they needed to be in, they knew this year is strictly a growing period, and they'll start with a lot more rhythm in 2003. That's what we are doing and I think we are doing a fine job at it.
KM: What about this Amazin Bacon Race?
SR: I think it is more relax and lay back, a lot of fun to see the different personalities of the dogs. I would love to see if Rusty and I could get to go around this obstacle course!
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