9781422270769

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