Wallace takes a ‘huge step for NASCAR’ as rare 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, 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 eighth 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 color, 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 said.
Wallace’s father sparked a love of the sport when Bubba was 9, 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.
His family also told him to brush off heckles and hurtful words from his formative years in the sport — and do his talking in the car.
“I would get the gestures and everything thrown out,” Wallace said. “We’d show up the next weekend and win. That’s how I was taught. That’s how I was raised, to ignore the stupidity, continue on and do what I need to do.”
NASCAR says Wallace will join at least seven other black drivers in its 69-year history opportunity,” Wallace who reached the Cup level: Elias Bowie, Charlie Scott, Wendell Scott, George Wiltshire, Randy Bethea, Willy T. Ribbs and Bill Lester. Scott is the only one to win a Cup race, back on Dec. 1, 1963, and the next win at a NASCAR national event by a black driver came in 2013 when Wallace took the Truck Series checkered flag at Martinsville.
Wallace has heard from the black drivers before him. Lester has sent him encouraging tweets. Wallace talked with Scott’s son on the phone Monday night.
Wallace has become one of NASCAR’s hot social media stars, and his friendship with Ryan Blaney (who drives the No. 21 Ford for the Wood Brothers) has turned into more of a comic partnership that’s built them over a combined 100,000 Instagram followers. Wallace will voice Bubba Wheelhouse in the upcoming “Cars 3” movie.
Wallace has five years of experience in the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series, and has five wins and 20 top-five finishes. He’s 0 for 83 in Xfinity — one reason why he said he hadn’t yet made the jump to Cup.
Wolff: Mercedes no longer the favorite in F1
Mercedes is no longer the favorite in Formula One, and that is something the team needs to get used to.
The Silver Arrows head into this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix after a dire performance at last month’s Monaco GP. Valtteri Bottas finished fourth while three-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton only managed seventh.
“Historic success doesn’t translate into current performance,” said Toto Wolff, the head of motorsport at Mercedes. “It’s painful, but we are not the favorites ...”