9781422270769

BUBBA WALLACE CHASE ELLIOTT DENNY HAMLIN KEVIN HARVICK KYLE BUSCH KYLE LARSON RYAN BLANEY

Stock Car Racing ’ s Best Drivers

Jeremy Pike

MASON CREST MIAMI

PO Box 221876, Hollywood, FL 33022 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) • www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2024 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-4738-9 ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-4737-2 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-7076-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Pike, Jeremy (Sportswriter), author. Title: Bubba Wallace / Jeremy Pike.

Description: Hollywood, FL : Mason Crest, [2024] | Series: Superstars of the speedway : Stock car racing’s best drivers | Includes QR codes and links to third-party content. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2023010938 | ISBN 9781422247389 (hardback) | ISBN 9781422247372 (series) | ISBN 9781422270769 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Wallace, Bubba, 1993---Juvenile literature. | Stock car drivers--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature. | Automobile racing drivers--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature. | NASCAR (Association)--History--Juvenile literature. | African American athletes--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature. | African American athletes--Political activity--History--21st century. | Racism in sports--Juvenile literature. Classification: LCC GV1032.W34 P55 2024 | DDC 796.72092 [B]--dc23/eng/20230627 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023010938

Developed and Produced by National Highlights, Inc. Editor: Andrew Luke Production: Crafted Content, LLC (www.craftedcontentllc.com)

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Chapter 1: Greatest Moments --------------------------------- 07 Chapter 2: The Road to the Top ------------------------------- 21 Chapter 3: Victory Lane - -------------------------------------- 33 Chapter 4: Under the Hood ----------------------------------- 47 Chapter 5: Off the Track --------------------------------------- 61 Series Glossary of Key Terms ---------------------------------- 74 Further Reading ------------------------------------------------ 76 Internet Resources --------------------------------------------- 77 Index ----------------------------------------------------------- 78 Author Biography & Credits ---------------------------------- 80 CONTENTS KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills. Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more!

Text-Dependent Questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there.

Research Projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Series Glossary of Key Terms: This back-of-the book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

debut: first appearance front-runners: leaders iconic: admired for its significance prematurely: done before the usual time sanctioned: given official approval

6

Superstars of the Speedway: Bubba Wallace

Chapter 1

Greatest Moments

Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. drives a race few have driven before. He’s climbed up racing’s ladder from driving Bandoleros and Legends cars as a kid to making his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Pocono Raceway in 2017 behind the wheel of the iconic No. 43 that was once driven by NASCAR’s king, Richard Petty. Before getting there, Wallace drove for NASCAR Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs in Joe Gibbs Racing’s developmental program in the Xfinity Series. Wallace’s path, like many others before him, was full of encounters with NASCAR legends. What makes Wallace’s path different from that of almost every other NASCAR driver is that he’s setting records as an African American driver. With a Cup Series win and six trips to victory lane in the Truck Series under his belt, Wallace set a new bar. No African American driver since Wendell Scott in 1964 had won any race in one of NASCAR’s top three national racing series. Even though Wallace is only 28 years old, his racing career is full of highlights and record-breaking moments. He won on his debut at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in the K&N Pro Series East regional

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Greatest Moments

series (now called the ARCA Menards Series East). That debut win was historic for two big reasons. Wallace was not only the first African American driver to win a race in the history of the series, but at the time, he was also the youngest driver ever to capture a checkered flag. While there would be struggles, Wallace continued to improve. Whether it was registering his first Top 5 finish in the Xfinity Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the town where he grew up or narrowly missing out on Rookie of the Year honors in both the Camping World and Xfinity Series, Wallace was pushing even when he wasn’t winning. Wallace returned to the Xfinity Series for two full seasons and part of a third before making his Cup Series debut for injured driver Aric Almirola in 2017. While he did not win in the Xfinity Series, he did collect six Top 5 finishes and 36 Top 10s. Wallace earned a full-time spot in the Cup Series with his performance in four Cup races in 2017. He was signed by Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) for the 2018 Cup Series season. Now Wallace races for the 23XI Racing team owned by Michael Jordan and fellow Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin. Despite racing for a small team, there is great hope that Wallace will continue to improve and win more races. Here is a look at some of the most iconic moments and record breaking performances of Wallace’s career so far.

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Superstars of the Speedway: Bubba Wallace

GREATEST

MOMENTS

9

Greatest Moments

FIRST CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES WIN

Wallace picked up his first win in a truck on October 26, 2013, at Martinsville Speedway. With his victory in the Kroger 200, Wallace became the second African American driver, after Wendell Scott, to win in one of the top three series in NASCAR. Scott’s win came almost 70 years earlier, on December 1, 1963, in Jacksonville, Florida. Wallace led 96 laps, the highest of any driver in the race, including the final 50. He had a strong qualifying run, starting the race in third, which helped him get out front early. It was an emotional win for the 19-year-old Wallace as it was his first win in any race vehicle in over a year since his last K&N Pro Series East win in September 2012. It was the highlight of a successful first season in the Truck Series that saw him collect five Top 5 and 12 Top 10 finishes.

Relive Bubba Wallace’s 2013 Truck Series win.

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Superstars of the Speedway: Bubba Wallace

WALLACE WINS ON DIRT When most people think of NASCAR races, they think of racing on asphalt. Prior to 1970, there were dirt track races on the national level with NASCAR. Then, for decades, none of the top three series touched dirt. In 2013, the Camping World Truck Series returned to NASCAR’s roots at historic Eldora Speedway in Ohio. In the 2013 edition of the Mudsummer Classic (later renamed the Eldora Dirt Derby), Wallace got a taste of dirt track racing and dominated the race. He finished seventh, although he failed to lead a lap. In 2014, Wallace was clearly the best driver on the dirt in Ohio, leading 97 laps. Kyle Larson threatened him late, but Larson slammed twice into the wall in the final few laps before limping to a 26th place finish. Wallace would then cruise to a resounding win on one of the most unique stops in the NASCAR Truck Series.

Bubba Wallace wins at the historic Eldora Speedway.

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Greatest Moments

BUBBA WINS FOR WENDELL SCOTT One year after Wallace picked up his first Camping World Truck Series win, he was back in Victory Lane at Martinsville. However, he was not in his normal No. 54 Toyota. Instead, he was driving a Toyota painted in light blue with the No. 34 on it in homage to Wendell Scott. Wallace led 97 laps of 2014’s Kroger 200 for his third victory of the season, but the win was in jeopardy late. Wallace surrendered the lead with 16 laps to go to Johnny Sauter, but after a German Quiroga crash brought out the caution (when a yellow flag is displayed due to unsafe racing conditions), Wallace took the lead after the resulting restart with six laps to go and stayed there. The win was made much sweeter due to the circumstances. Scott’s hometown of Danville, Virginia, is 30 miles from Martinsville, so his family was in attendance, making the win all the more celebratory. It was also announced that Scott was named to the NASCAR Hall of Fame class of 2015.

Bubba Wallace wins at Martinsville in Wendell Scott’s paint scheme.

12

Superstars of the Speedway: Bubba Wallace

FIRST NASCAR CUP SERIES WIN Wallace captured his first Cup Series win at the closest track to his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, with a win in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in 2021. Wallace took the lead for the first time on Lap 113. The race typically runs 188 laps, but a rainstorm descended on the racetrack. While NASCAR attempted to get the track ready for racing, they only had a small window of time to dry the racetrack because Talladega Superspeedway does not have lights for running at night. Wallace and his pit crew had to sit on pit road under the red flag, waiting for word whether they would return to the track or celebrate in Victory Lane. Officials made the call that they would not be able to resume the race properly, and with the race more than half over, Wallace got his first Cup Series win.

Bubba Wallace makes history at Talladega.

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Greatest Moments

FIRST NASCAR CUP SERIES RACE Wallace was racing in the Xfinity Series in 2017 when Aric Almirola suffered an injury and had to miss time in the Cup Series for Richard Petty Motorsports. Wallace was tapped as a replacement and made his debut at Pocono Raceway on June 11, 2017. While it may not have ended in as much glory as first races in other series (the K&N Pro Series East, for example), Wallace drove the iconic blue No. 43 to a 26th-place finish in the Pocono 400. Wallace’s appearance made him the first African American driver in the Cup Series in 12 years, since Bill Lester raced in 2005, and the seventh in series history. Despite the 26th-place finish, Wallace would race for RPM three more times in 2017 before being signed to race for the team full time in 2018.

Check out this quick recap of an eventful Cup Series debut for Wallace.

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Superstars of the Speedway: Bubba Wallace

DAYTONA 500 DEBUT Wallace kicked off his full-time Cup Series run in 2018 with RPM at the 60th running of the Daytona 500. He started 7th, an impressive feat for a rookie making his Daytona 500 debut. The race lasted 207 total laps rather than the standard 200 due to the third major wreck of the day that sent the race into overtime. Wallace had avoided all three major crashes and positioned himself in fourth for the green-white-checkered flag finish. Wallace restarted on the high line behind eventual winner Austin Dillon and helped push him up to Aric Almirola, the race leader. Almirola spun out after contact with Dillon on the final lap, and Wallace was able to avoid danger yet again. As the race leaders closed on the finish line, Wallace came down on Denny Hamlin, and the two raced neck-and-neck for the checkered flag. Slow motion replays showed that Wallace edged Hamlin by a bumper for a historic second-place finish.

Bubba Wallace edges out Denny Hamlin for second place at the 2018 Daytona 500.

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Greatest Moments

2022 DAYTONA 500 FINISH Wallace took to the stage at the Cup Series’ premier event to start the 2022 NASCAR season and survived two crashes in the late stages of the Daytona 500 to finish second. That finish equaled his second-place finish in 2018, his first time in the race. He led 12 laps in the race and started 16th. The second-place finish tied his previous mark from 2018 for the highest finish for an African American driver at the Daytona 500. Previously, Wendell Scott held that honor for finishing 13th in 1966. While Wallace’s second-place finish in 2018 was joy-filled for him, finishing less than a car length behind Austin Cindric in the 2022 edition left Wallace frustrated. Wallace fell back to fifth twice over the final two laps, but he was able to push past the rest of the front-runners and nearly passed Cindric but just ran out of time.

Austin Cindric wins the Daytona 500, edging out Bubba Wallace.

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Superstars of the Speedway: Bubba Wallace