What is the best option for a NASCAR driver to enjoy as a retirement plan? A gig in the studio with the broadcasters? Or enjoying regional racing away from the bling-bling life of NASCAR? Well, there’s a list of opportunities that come along the way for the drivers. But being involved with the sport in some capacity would be ideal for most lads. And something similar happened to the 1989 Cup Series champion, Rusty Wallace.

However, little did he know that his post-retirement stint would create a major impact on the community. One that would allow him to view the world through a different lens. After his final NASCAR season in 2005, Wallace was approached by Betty Jane France, who asked him to lead the charge for the NASCAR Foundation. This initiative aimed to give back to the community and improve the lives of younger generations.

Rusty Wallace reveals how he was roped in to lead the charge for the NASCAR Foundation

This move by Betty Jane France was a surprise, given how outspoken and controversial Rusty Wallace was at times. When we associate Rusty Wallace with controversy, his 1989 All-Star win immediately comes to mind. During the race’s final lap, a young, hungry Wallace pulled off a dump and run on Michael Waltrip, taking home the $200,000.

But his villain arc wouldn’t last forever, as Betty France had a unique retirement plan for the former Team Penske driver, which was into charity. Recalling how he got roped into this role, the 67-year-old said, “So I got a phone call two weeks late from Betty Jane; she says I want you to be on the board of our brand new NASCAR foundation. Then I asked her, Betty Jane, Why do you want me to be on that thing? And she says now you’re not controversial. I’m like, okay.”

The NASCAR foundation started in 2006, and since then, Rusty has led the charge of this initiative, serving on the board of directors. He also shared the instances where the foundation had raised money for good causes. “Lately, we’ve been raising a lot of money for the boys and girls club. We were at Tadworth, and we wrote that little city a check for $104,000, I think. A year before, we did a Rusty Wallace Mayor ride in Knoxville, Tennessee. We raised $107,000 on that ride.”

However, Rusty Wallace’s retirement was far from a storied finish. Rather, Dale Earnhardt’s death influenced his decision to call it quits from NASCAR racing.

NASCAR’s rubber head had two or three years’ worth of racing in him

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As tough and aggressive as Rusty might have been on the track, he realized how dangerous the sport was. There were times when he was scared for his life trying to compete with the top dogs. His speech during the 1994 Daytona 500 Drivers Meeting was evidence of how the deaths and accidents of his fellow competitors shook him to the core.

But the demise of Dale Earnhardt during the 2001 Daytona 500 race stuck with him. Eventually, he decided to hang up his boots from racing in 2005, which was premature given how long drivers stretched their racing careers. “After Earnhardt lost his life three or four years ago, it kind of got to me. This is my last shot at the Daytona 500. The Daytona 500 is still the granddaddy of them all; it’s the race I haven’t won, and I’m going to try my darndest to win it.” Wallace said this ahead of the 2005 Daytona 500 race.

However, it turned out to be the biggest mistake of his career, as he probably could’ve stretched his run in the Cup Series. Wallace himself made this admission while speaking on the Dale Jr. Download podcast., stating that he felt empty after quitting NASCAR racing.