TOP NASCAR SERIES TO ADD AFRICAN-AMERICAN DRIVER
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is poised to have its first full-time African-American driver in more than 40 years beginning in 2018. Richard Petty Motorsports announced Wednesday that it had signed Darrell
Wallace Jr. to drive the No. 43 car made famous by Petty. Wallace, who goes by the nickname Bubba, will be the Cup Series’ first full-time African-American driver since NASCAR Hall of Fame member Wendell Scott raced in 1971. Wallace, who has won six times in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, filled in for injured RPM driver
Aric Almirola for four Cup races this season. Almirola will not be back with the team in
2018. A graduate of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, Wallace, 24, said there is social significance in joining NASCAR’s premier series full time and following in Scott’s footsteps. “It’s big,” he said. “There have been a lot of people (that have) come up through the ranks and try to carry the legacy that Wendell Scott had laid down for us. For me to step into that realm and step into that role brings a lot of pressure.”
Chip Ganassi Racing is bringing British driver Ed Jones,
22, to its IndyCar team next season. The 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series rookie of the year will pilot the No. 10 car and join four-time champion Scott Dixon at CGR, which last month announced it was downsizing from a four-car shop to two cars beginning next year. Jones drove for Dale Coyne Racing in 2017 and finished third in the Indianapolis 500.