‘The perfect opportunity’

Wallace takes ‘huge step for NASCAR’ as fourth black Cup driver

Darrell Wallace Jr. used to steel himself against racial insults spewed at him in the lower levels of racing and he survived sponsorship woes that slowed his advancement through NASCAR.

Wallace persevered in a sport that seemed long reserved for whites.

This weekend at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania, he will take the wheel of the No. 43 Ford – the same number made famous by Hall of Famer Richard Petty – and make history as just the fourth black driver to race in NASCAR’s top Cup series.

“This is a huge step for NASCAR, the whole sport in general, for bringing diversity to its top tier level of NASCAR,” Wallace said Tuesday. “I’m glad to be leading the forefront of that right now. It just shows that we’re trying to bring in a new demographic. We’re trying to bring in a new face, get a younger generation, no matter what colour, what age.”

The 23-year-old Wallace, the son of a white father and black mother, has been comfortable in his role as de facto trailblazer in a sport that took decades to fully open up to minorities and women. “Everybody should deserve the same opportunity, the same challenge,” Wallace said. Wallace, more commonly referred to by his nickname “Bubba,” got his shot when Aric Almirola was injured in a wreck at Kansas.

Regan Smith served as substitute for two races. Wallace, who raced in the Xfinity Series for Jack Roush, has the ride until Almirola returns.

“This is the perfect opportunity,” Wallace said. Wallace’s father sparked a love of the sport when Bubba was nine, putting him in gokarts, and always scouting the next series as his son grew up in Concord, North Carolina. Darrell Wallace even bought a Legends car from Mark Martin.

Wallace’s father owned an industrial cleaning business and pumped at least $1 million into his son’s fledgling career. He spent as much $250,000 in 2008. The elder Wallace paid bills late and borrowed money to keep his son’s career alive.