Rusty Wallace: Hall of Fame Induction Is About Far More than Just Numbers

Rusty Wallace doesn't think his Hall of Fame induction is just about the numbers, and I tend to agree with him.

Though the numbers are impressive: 55 wins (ninth on the career win list), 202 top-five finishes, 349 top-10 finishes, a 1989 championship, seven seasons with a top-five ranking and a string of remarkable consistency between 1986 and 2002 that saw him finish outside of the top-10 in the rankings only once.

But for Wallace, it means more than that. It goes deeper than simple results (via David Scott at BostonHerald.com):

"

"I know what my numbers are, I’ve got them memorized," he said. "But are they really what the Hall is all about? I still stay confused about what it’s about. Do we honor people for being just owners, drivers, crew chiefs and sponsors? To me, it’s what you have given back to the sport and how much you have helped build NASCAR.

"That’s the reason I’ve been a car owner, built a speedway and been in television to tell people about our sport. I love it."

"

That's what makes this master of the short track so worthy of the Hall—his contributions to and passion for the sport after he stopped driving. That's what makes his legacy so full—the fact that he never stopped giving.

Sometimes, I think we become too success-obsessed in this country. I'm not saying that there shouldn't be institutions for honoring the on-field or on-track accomplishments of its top participants; I'm just saying it is always nice to see the people who contributed to the games in multiple ways get honored.

Wallace's contributions to the sport are to be admired. You can rattle off his statistics if you like, or you can mark his legacy by the passion he brought to the sport he loved.

I choose to focus on the latter. And from what he said upon hearing of his Hall of Fame induction, I believe he does the same.

Hit me up on Twitter—my tweets will gladly have another as well.