Credit: Autostock

Wallace still a contender after another solid finish

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Making his 700th career start at the Cup track nearest his hometown of St. Louis, Rusty Wallace was hoping for a confluence of good luck, much like the nearby Kansas and Missouri rivers that flow within miles of Kansas Speedway.

However, within the first 20 laps of Sunday's Banquet 400, Wallace was left in a situation that took everything within his powers just to keep his head above water.

RUSTY WALLACE •   Driver Page •   2005 Statistics •   Superstore: Wallace gear •   Join Rusty's fan club! 'LAST CALL' ARCHIVE •   Best seasons •   Near-misses •   Significant races •   The ABCs of Wallace •   Fantasy starting lineup •   Significant changes •   Most influential •   No regrets Inside the Chase Point standings after Kansas Pos. Driver Pts. Behind 1. T. Stewart 5,684 -- 2. R. Newman 5,609 -75 3. G. Biffle 5,596 -88 4. R. Wallace 5,594 -90 5. J. Johnson 5,592 -92 6. C. Edwards 5,589 -95 7. M. Martin 5,571 -113 8. M. Kenseth 5,568 -116 9. J. Mayfield 5,527 -157 10. Ku. Busch 5,460 -224 • Race results, click here • Cup standings, click here Victory LaneMark Martin celebrates his 35th career win at Kansas On the moveGreg Biffle gains two spots in the point standings Banquet 400Catch all the highlights of the Chase in Kansas Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

A broken jack put Wallace pack in the back, but he was able to rally for a seventh-place finish, keeping him within shouting distance of points leader Tony Stewart.

"It was a good, solid day," Wallace said. "It was just a long day, but I really had pretty smooth stuff all day long, only a couple of little things happened.

"The jack broke early but we got that right back. And then at the end, the lapped cars were really tough to get around on the get-go and that got me way behind."

Stewart finished fourth Sunday, which means Wallace is 90 points behind in fourth with sixth races remaining -- and only two points behind third-place Greg Biffle.

Wallace started 33rd but was steadily moving through the field when a spin on Lap 17 brought out the caution flag and the first round of pit stops. But what appeared to be a chance to make gains for the No. 2 Dodge suddenly turned into survival mode when the primary jack broke.

Forced to the back of the field by the miscue, Wallace spent the rest of the race making up for lost track position. He broke into the top 20 by Lap 60, moving up as far as 14th by Lap 90.

When Stuart Kirby found the wall on Lap 102, Wallace was able to gain several spots during the ensuing round of stops, a move which cemented his position in the top 10 for the rest of the day.

"I handed good all day long, got a little tight," Wallace said. "That just shows how good those top seven cars were [Sunday], man."

In fact, Wallace even grabbed the lead on Lap 182, although that came during a long green flag run with the leaders pitting.

Wallace was saddled in eighth from that point on, although he was able to get around a fading Brian Vickers with eight laps remaining to wind up seventh and collect his 17th top-10 finish of the season.

"The top seven [Sunday] were really, really strong," Wallace said. "It was really hard to pass.

"I was catching Jimmie [Johnson] just a little bit right there at the end, then I'd give up a little bit, then I'd catch him again."