The screaming female fan finally got the attention of her beloved NASCAR driver during a commercial break of the live broadcast of SPEED Channel’s Trackside at Texas Motor Speedway.

She held up a homemade doll of Rusty Wallace’s likeness, complete with his Miller Lite fire suit. Wallace wasn’t sure what to make of it, but profusely thanked “the nice lady from Shreveport.” A few minutes later the doll made its TV debut.

Wallace appeared as comfortable in front of the camera as he does inside his racecar, announcing to the world in 2004 that 2005 would be his last season.

The Missouri native never would leave racing quietly, a la Ricky Rudd. Wallace is going out with a big splash farewell tour called “Rusty’s Last Call” in honor of his longtime sponsor Miller Brewing Co. A free 12-city concert series began at Daytona and ended with country music’s Pat Green entertaining his fans during a tribute at Seminole Hard Rock Casino.

His illustrious Cup career that began in 1980 with a borrowed sedan collecting dust in Roger Penske’s warehouse will come to a screeching halt Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

You can bet Russell William Wallace, the son of a weekend racer who made a living from his vacuum cleaner repair store, will shed a tear. “His last race is going to be a very emotional thing for him,” Penske South Racing president Don Miller said. “He’s doing a very difficult thing.”

Miller, a friend and business partner of Wallace for nearly 30 years, tried to find the right words: “I don’t want to say egotistical, that wouldn’t be right. But he’s very ‘fan conscious.’ He wants to be the center of the entire attraction. He thrives on it. I think when it dawns on him that this is the last race, and there won’t be any more, it will hit him pretty hard.”

Wallace, 49, was working in a chassis shop in St. Louis when Miller walked in, needing an axle housing shortened for his hot rod.

A friendship and partnership developed. Soon the duo and Charlie Chase started “Poor Boy Chassis” in a rented shop behind a horse stable.

Wallace built cars to support his racing. He won a lot. But he’ll never forget his crash during a victory celebration.

“Destroyed the car and made the owner mad,” he said. Who was the owner?

“Me.”

It was 1980 when he drove in his first Cup race. Wallace finished second to Dale Earnhardt. But Penske’s focus was on his Indy program, and said the duo could have the car. But they didn’t have the money to race at that level.

Wallace continued cheaper racing until he got hooked up with owner Cliff Stewart for his first full Cup season in 1984. He finished a respectable 14th in the standings.

But the next season Stewart decided to build his own engines. Big mistake – Wallace blew 14 engines.

Rusty Wallace poses in Victory Lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway during a break in preparation for the Ford 400. Wallace will retire from racing after Sunday's season finale.

Wallace won his first and only championship in 1989, at Atlanta on a day when “you name it and it went wrong.” But Wallace mustered a 15th and won the title by 12 points.

However, he’s most remembered in 1989 for his win at The Winston all-star race.

Wallace’s oldest son, Greg, was 9 at the time. As Greg tells it: “Darrell Waltrip was the villain at the time called Jaws. Everybody hated him. Dad was the fast talking kid from Missouri, the guy in white more than black. Then what happened (Wallace nudged Waltrip’s car late in the race, causing him to wreck) and everything changed. Dad was the one hated, getting death threats.”

Wallace and Miller reunited with Penske in 1991, founding Penske South Racing. But after two mediocre seasons, Penske met with his co-owners at a Holiday Inn and told them: “I think I’ll just get out. I’ll let you guys run this thing.”

Three weeks ago, Penske chuckled at Wallace’s response: “Let me tell you something, pal. Don’t spin me out now.”

They won 10 races the next season and have been together 15 years, winning 37 races in all, but no championships.

If not for four consecutive weeks of bad luck during the Chase, Wallace would likely have a shot at the championship Sunday. But he is content to finish in the top 10, despite not winning a race this season.