Wallace to become first black driver in Cup race since ’06
CHArLottE, N.C.
Darrell Wallace Jr. will become the first black driver to race at NASCAR’s top level since 2006 when he replaces injured Aric Almirola this weekend at Pocono Raceway.
Richard Petty Motorsports said Wallace, more commonly referred to by his nickname “Bubba,” will be the replacement in the No. 43 until Almirola returns.
“Driving the famed 43 car is an unbelievable opportunity for any race car driver,” said Wallace. “With all that Richard Petty has contributed to the sport, I’m honoured to start my first
(race) with this team.”
Wallace,
23, is only the fourth black driver in one of NASCAR’s top national series. Wendell Scott raced from 1961-73 in Cup, Willy T. Ribbs did three Cup races in 1986 and Bill Lester raced sporadically from 1999 until 2007 at all three national levels.
Wallace won the Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway in 2013 to become the first black driver to win at a national NASCAR series event since Wendell Scott earned a Cup victory on Dec. 1, 1963.
Wallace raced in the Xfinity Series for Roush, but the team announced that he will transition from its Xfinity car to RPM.
Without Wallace, Roush Fenway will suspend the No. 6 Xfinity team at Pocono.
The team and Wallace will evaluate opportunities for him to run other Xfinity races this season.
“We are very proud of Bubba and his development at Roush Fenway Racing,” team president Steve Newmark said.
“We believe that Bubba has tremendous potential and will continue to excel in NASCAR’s top series. He has been a great representative of our organization both on and off the track and we’ve enjoyed being part of his growth as a driver.”
Almirola fractured a vertebra during a fiery wreck last month at Kansas Speedway and is out indefinitely. Almirola and Wallace both drive Fords.
Wallace has five years of experience in the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series, and has five wins and 20 topfive finishes.
“We are excited for Bubba to get this opportunity,” said Dave Pericak, global director for Ford Performance. Wallace
toroNto
The Canadian Hockey League is into China.
The new team, the CWHL’s sixth, will be based in Shenzhen and will be known as the Kunlun Red Star.
“This is a historic moment in time for women’s hockey to grow on a global stage, creating a template for many winter sports to follow heading into the 2022 Olympics to be held in China,” said commissioner Brenda Andress. “This is not just about hockey it is about the opportunity for the growth of women in all sports and creating career opportunities.” Women’s expanding
The Kunlun Red Star will join the Toronto Furies, Boston Blades, Brampton Thunder, Calgary Inferno and Montreal Canadiennes.
With the addition of KRS, the league will see the 2017-18 schedule increase from 24 to 30 regular season games with each CWHL team travelling to China to play a three-game series. KRS will travel to North America and visit the other CWHL teams in a similar three-game series. The KRS roster will feature a core group of Chinese national team players, and top international talent.
“We’re extremely excited to announce this exciting partnership with the Canadian Women’s Hockey league,” said Alex Zhao, chairman of the board of KRS. “As part of the CWHL, the premier professional women’s league, our mission is to develop a top-tier professional team in order to develop a strong base of female players for our national programs, and new audiences for the sport in China, in the leadup to hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.”
KRS will also encourage the growing interest in hockey and female sport in China in advance of the country hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. Through this partnership, KRS aims to have an immediate impact on growing the interest in hockey, more specifically in women’s hockey.