Motorsports

Wallace to honor Kulwicki at Bristol

By Associated Press
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 22, 2003

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BRISTOL, Tenn. - Rusty Wallace and Alan Kulwicki will forever be linked to Bristol Motor Speedway. Wallace has nine victories here, including one 70 hours after Kulwicki was killed in a plane crash en route to the track in 1993.

"Bristol was special to Alan Kulwicki and Alan was special to Bristol," Wallace said. "He was always a big factor in every race he ran there. Appropriately, they've even named one of their grandstands after him."

The week Kulwicki was killed, Wallace dominated the event here and celebrated the win with a "Polish Victory Lap" in reverse direction as was Kulwicki's trademark.

Wallace will make another backward lap Saturday night, kicking off NASCAR's Victory Lap tribute to longtime series sponsor R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. in the parade laps before the Sharpie 500.

The tribute pairs a still-active past Winston Cup champion with an inactive or late champion, so Wallace will run his parade laps with a replica of Kulwicki's old car.

FOOD CITY 250: Jason Keller set an event qualifying record of 126.021 mph Thursday in winning the pole for tonight's Busch series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Kevin Harvick starts second, Brian Vickers third, Michael Waltrip fourth and Tony Raines fifth.

Keller learned this week his PPC Racing team would be losing its sponsor at the end of the season. "We need to make some noise and make it the right way," he said. "Qualifying up front is going to be a big step."

FIRESTONE INDY 225: Vitor Meira had surgery the right wrist he broke Saturday at Kentucky Speedway and will be replaced by Jaques Lazier for Sunday's race in Nazareth, Pa.

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