Published 12/30/2022, 9:20 AM EST
We have all heard stories of NASCAR drivers pulling pranks on each other. But now many know about the prank that Rusty Wallace pulled on NASCAR President Bill France. Turns out that Wallace was equally hilarious to some of his counterparts back in the day.
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
The story goes somewhat like this: Back in 1997, Rusty Wallace was heard swearing over the radio and he was soon instructed to pay a fine of $5000 for it. However, instead of paying the fine straightforwardly through a cheque, Wallace pulled a trick from up his sleeve.
CHARLOTTE, NC – JANUARY 29: Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace poses on the red carpet at NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 29, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/Getty Images)
Wallace decided to pull up with a truck loaded to the brim with 500,000 pennies, weighing 3,500 pounds! Yup, he got individual pennies to pay up the fine. He brought France along with him and then opened up the rear door of the truck. In front of them were neatly arranged bags full of pennies. As Wallace began explaining how he was about to pay his fine, France was unable to keep it together and cracked up.
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
Such was the cheek of Rusty Wallace that he picked a big bag of pennies up and handed it to France, saying, “Now remember y’all. You can’t never say sh*t.”
At the end of the day, France took the prank well and everybody present must have had a fun time witnessing Wallace’s eccentricities. Even more amusing is that the whole drama was just a means to prank Bill France. A week before Wallace’s shenanigans, his team, Penske Racing South, had already given NASCAR the cheque for the $5000 fine issued to him. But that was not the last time he pranked someone.
Rusty Wallace once pranked Dale Earnhardt Sr by stealing his steering wheel
Back in the day, while racing with Dale Earnhardt Sr, Rusty Wallace decided to pull a prank on his long-time competitor. Wallace talked about the incident during an appearance on Dale Earnhardt Jr‘s podcast.
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
Wallace said that he snuck up on the Intimidator and tucked away his steering wheel. This doesn’t seem as simple as it sounds, but according to Wallace, in those days drivers used to keep the steering wheel on the roof of their cars. The funniest thing was that nobody even noticed Wallace walking away with the steering wheel.
Later on, Wallace went back and sat in his car waiting for the race to start. While checking his rearview mirror, he saw a sudden pandemonium erupt near Dale Earnhardt Sr’s car. There was panic all around as no one could find the steering wheel. After watching the entire ordeal, Wallace reached out of his car’s window and pulled out the Intimidator’s steering wheel for everyone to see.
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
It was all in good spirits. Even Earnhardt Sr mentioned how Wallace had gotten him that time. Wallace’s sense of humor and his uncanny ability to pull a prank on almost anyone are truly remarkable. Moreover, it also gives a sense of light-heartedness to an otherwise tense and competitive environment.
WATCH THIS STORY: Billionaire Michael Jordan Name-Dropped by Kyle Petty After Hendrick Motorsports Legend Jimmie Johnson’s Announcement