NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace set to be honored by Team Penske at North Wilkesboro

The NASCAR Cup Series hits North Wilkesboro Speedway this weekend and Team Penske is set to honor one of their former stars, Rusty Wallace, at the event.

Wallace, the 1989 Cup Series champion, drove full-time for Penske from 1991 through 2005, and also made his first two appearances in the division with the team in 1980.

Two of Wallace's wins for the team came at North Wilkesboro Speedway back in 1993, when he swept both races that year. Now, as part of Team Penske's 60th anniversary celebrations, Austin Cindric will run a black paint scheme with gold trim to honor Wallace's success that weekend on his No. 2 Ford - the same number that Wallace ran.

Cindric follows his Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney in running a paint scheme that marks a big win in the team's history as part of their anniversary celebrations.

The No. 22 ran a red and white look inspired by Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat's 2019 Supercars victory in the Bathurst 1000 at Phoenix, while the No. 12 recently paid tribute to Ryan Newman's 2008 Daytona 500 victory at Pocono.

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Austin Cindric on running Rusty Wallace paint scheme

“I think when you think of the No. 2 car, you think of Rusty Wallace. That’s the first thing you think of,” Cindric told NASCAR.com ahead of the weekend.

“And obviously it’s the car, the team, the driver that really built Team Penske’s NASCAR program into what it is today, or at least a great foundation for it. S

"So to be able to go through our 60th anniversary of Team Penske and to not have anything about Rusty Wallace, I think, would be a miss."

Paint scheme Wallace-approved

“Actually talked to him (Wednesday)," Cindric continued. "He’s all excited about how much he loved that car. Like, ‘Oh man, that’s a badass car!’ Like, all right, good, we’re gonna run it again.

"So it was cool to talk to him about that, and I think it’s gonna be great to have it out there, and most importantly, do my part in representing those colors well.”