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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