As the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season heads to North Wilkesboro Speedway this week, Austin Cindric will have a special paint scheme honoring NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace.

Austin Cindric will run Wallace’s iconic black-and-gold paint scheme on the #2 Freightliner Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Sunday’s Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday (July 19). The paint scheme came in honor of Team Penske’s 60th anniversary and coincides with North Wilkesboro’s return to the Cup Series schedule for the first points-paying race since 1996.

On Monday (July 13), Team Penske revealed Wallace’s iconic paint schemes on X (formerly Twitter). In this black and gold paint scheme, he sweeps the races at North Wilkesboro in 1993.

Rusty Wallace used the No. 2 for the majority of his NASCAR Cup Series career, driving for Penske Racing (now known as Team Penske) before retiring in 2005. The NASCAR Hall of Famer has secured 55 Cup Series victories and a 1989 championship in his 25-year-long career.

Reflecting on Wallace’s legacy behind the wheel of No. 2 Penske, the current No. 2 driver, Cindric said (via NASCAR.com):

Ahead of the 2026 season, Team Penske, one of the most successful motorsports teams, had confirmed to use a retro paint scheme to celebrate their 60 years in the sport.

Rusty Wallace is regarded as one of the greatest short-track racers in NASCAR history. He is also named the Grand Marshal of the Sunday's North Wilkesbor race.

Speaking about honoring Wallace on Sunday, Cindric said (via NASCAR.com):

Austin Cindric sits 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings, 32 points above the Chase bubble with six races left in the points standings.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

Quick Links