NASCAR witnessed many legends in the last decade of the 20th century, most prominent, Dale Earnhardt. Boasting 7 Cup Series championships, the Intimidator was unbeatable against his competitors including Rusty Wallace. The feisty battle between the two is no secret, as both bested each other on multiple occasions. During the 1995 Brickyard 400, Earnhardt got the better of Wallace.

Yet curiously, Rusty Wallace aimed his anger at a different ‘Dale’ in the Cup garage. Dale Jarrett was another NASCAR legend at the time, establishing his 32-time Cup-winning legacy with Ford. However, he rubbed his rival Wallace the wrong way in 1995 – although fans acknowledge that the latter was more disliked.

Dale Jarrett was a phenom soon after he debuted in NASCAR. He and his father Ned were only the second father-son duo to win Cup titles after Richard and Lee Petty. Moreover, Jarrett rivaled his namesake during the 1999 Cup Series championship. After Earnhardt turned down Robert Yates’ offer to drive the No. 88 Ford, Jarrett came aboard. Yates fondly said back then, “‘I like racing against Dale Earnhardt. Let’s take the other Dale (Dale Jarrett) and beat him.” 

That is how Jarrett established an extremely fruitful relationship with Yates. Although Earnhardt did not harbor any dislike for his namesake, somebody else did – Rusty Wallace. Rusty Wallace recently recalled an incident that ticked him off during the 1995 season. Appearing on a recent Dinner with Racers episode, the 55-time NASCAR Cup race-winning driver got candid about a few things.

While talking about the Midwestern ASA racing scene with other legends like Alan Kulwicki and Mark Martin, Wallace also brought up the 1995 Brickyard 400. He said that during the event, “a loose tire f—–g cost him that race.” And the culprit behind that loose wheel was none other than Dale Jarrett.

This highlighted Rusty Wallace’s continued feelings of rivalry toward his old competitor. Yet Wallace himself ruined a run by Dale Jarrett during the Pontiac Excitement 400 race in 1997. In front of 90,000 spectators at Richmond International Raceway, Wallace and Jarrett put up a thrilling competition. Both led 135 and 172 laps, respectively, of the 400 laps. Yet Wallace outfoxed Dale Jarrett during a restart with 3 laps to go and won the race. Even after knowing Wallace’s aggressive moves, Jarrett blamed himself for the fiasco. “I messed up. With three laps to go, I should be able to hold the lead with a car that good. I thought I had Rusty slowed down.”

NASCAR’s fans think that Wallace’s reputation may be a shade darker than Jarrett’s.

Fans throw shots at Wallace instead

Well, NASCAR is filled with rivalries. But usually, the favor pendulum tilts towards one side more. When Ricky Stenhouse Jr. delivered an uppercut to Kyle Busch in North Wilkesboro this year, reactions were divided. Yet fans soon sided more with Stenhouse, as his rival got away with no penalty. Similarly, Rusty Wallace‘s claims about Dale Jarrett elicited ponderous responses from fans. One fan claimed that Wallace stood out in his dislike for Jarrett: “I can’t speak for the garage, but I don’t recall Dale Jarrett being disliked by the fans. I recall Rusty Wallace being more disliked than DJ.” Somebody else pinned the blame on Wallace as well, claiming the 1989 Cup champion had his flaws. “Yeah, I liked Rusty, don’t get me wrong…but he was kinda an a–hole.”

Rusty Wallace’s rivalries were iconic, especially with Dale Earnhardt. He beat the Intimidator en route to the 1989 Cup title with a 12-point margin. Despite his towering achievements, Wallace still elicited an odd feeling from fans, as somebody agreed. “That guy rubs me the wrong way and I’ve never really figured out why. Maybe it’s because he’s so bland and yet thinks so highly of himself.” Another fan claimed that Wallace was usually critical of his rivals, and hence did not bring much credit to his words about Jarrett. “I’ll put it this way. There’s Rusty’s truth. And then there’s the real truth. That should clear up any comments that RW speaks into a mic.”

During a 1995 Bristol race, Wallace and Earnhardt together conspired to teach Jeff Gordon a lesson. As they crossed the start-finish line to complete Lap 1, they’d already forced Gordon to the high side and kept him there. This attitude also shows that Rusty Wallace was eager to create rifts in the garage, as one fan pointed out while clearing Jarrett of any dislike. “I’m sure he had his haters, but he was generally liked by fans. Rusty on the other hand was quite divisive.”

Evidently, Rusty Wallace’s trash talk about Dale Jarrett backfired. Yet both racers are evergreen stars in NASCAR’s history, and their stories help keep the legacy alive.