By Aaron Bearden, Motorsports Editor
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — He had the weight of the NASCAR world on his shoulders.
In the end, he carried it better than anyone could have dreamed.
Darrell Wallace Jr. capped off an emotional Speedweeks with a second-place run in Sunday’s 60th Annual Daytona 500 – the best finish an African American driver has ever managed in ‘The Great American Race.’
Afterwards, he wept.
The emotions came pouring out after a P2 finish for @BubbaWallace.#DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/QspZyBm0TM
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 19, 2018
“It’s a sensitive subject, but I’m just so emotional over where my family has been the last two years,” Wallace said, moments after embracing in tearful hugs with his mother and sister. “And I don’t talk about it, but it’s just so hard.”
After taking a moment to collect himself, Wallace continued.
“I just try so hard to be successful at everything I do, and my family pushes me each and every day,” he said. “And they might not know it, but I just want to make them proud. Second is horrible but it’s still a good day.”
High Expectations
Wallace arrived in Daytona International Speedway for his Daytona 500 debut to a media whirlwind, and for good reason.
The 24-year-old was tabbed to join the current NASCAR youth movement as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ sole African American driver in 2018, a move that garnered Wallace a video program detailing his Daytona debut – “Behind the Wall with Bubba Wallace” – on Facebook Watch.
He would make the leap to Cup in the sport’s most iconic ride – the No. 43 Chevrolet. And as a result he would stand with NASCAR’s most legendary figure: Richard Petty.
The pairing seemed too good to be true when they debuted at Pocono Raceway after Aric Almirola’s injury at Kansas Speedway in 2017.
Wallace was in among the sport’s best personalities; charismatic, funny, and insightful. More importantly the Alabamian was also a proven talent, with six victories in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and a reputation of consistency in a three-year tenure with Roush Fenway Racing (RFR) in the XFINITY Series.
Before the announcement there were fears that Wallace could find himself without a car. His time with RFR was set to come to an end in Pocono, with the No. 6 team shuttering operations. The prospect had skill, but he didn’t have the necessary funding to stay afloat.
His time with Richard Petty Motorsports proved short in 2017, but it showed promise. Wallace competed in just four races, but improved his finish in each event. A disappointing 26th-place result in his debut ultimately transitioned to an 11th-place run in his final start at Kentucky Speedway.
A victory in the Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway kept Wallace’s name around, but otherwise he vanished off the tour. Rumors arose that Wallace would have an opportunity to compete for Petty full-time in September, but it wasn’t until October that the team finally announced his acquisition as Almirola left for Stewart-Haas Racing.
The group came to Daytona amid relative uncertainty, having moved to Chevrolet in an affiliate roll with Richard Childress Racing following a fall filled with sponsor feuds and manufacturer discussions. No one knew how competitive the team would be, or whether Wallace would be able to take to restrictor-plate racing at NASCAR’s highest level.
As it turned out, the team was strong – at least in race trim. They qualified 25th on Sunday’s traditional single-car time trials, but when the Can-Am Duels came on Thursday Wallace was competitive. The rookie dodged every crash and contended for the victory en-route to a third-place run.
Traditionally those that follow NASCAR know not to look too far into the results from the qualifying race. But RPM made it difficult not to keep an eye on Wallace after his Duel run. He hadn’t made a bad move throughout the race, completing a performance strong enough for Richard Petty to make a rare trip to pit road to embrace him in a hug.
Whether fair or not, the run ensured that the spotlight was on Wallace. The onus was on him to live up to it.
A Race to Remember
The morning of the Daytona 500 saw Wallace gain wide-spread appeal.
Three-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton offered Wallace a tweet of encouragement. Baseball legend Hank Aaron called to offer a word of encouragement. Fans abound sent the rookie tweets of support.
There were fears that the moment was too grand for Wallace to live up to, but he proved them to be false early on – rising up to second and mounting a fierce challenge for the lead.
“I think I was just trying to learn stuff there, make those bold moves, see what happens,” Wallace said. “If we fell back it wasn’t the end of the world, but just try to fend off the guys behind me.
“I think it was myself and Denny that were out front, and (I) wasn’t really trying to get by hime, but I just wanted to lead the bottom line, go back to the top line, everything that you’ve watched from Brad (Keselowski) doing, Joey (Logano) doing.”
He was unable to rise to the front of the field, but Wallace set the precedent for the day with the early run. From there on he was a constant presence in the front half of the field, dodging crashes and staying inside of the top 10.
The key to his success was simple – stay calm and drive smart.
“I just went out and tried not to be a hero, like the King (Petty) told me right before climbing in,” Wallace said.
Petty’s advice proved key for Wallace. The rookie dodged multiple big crashes, rising through the field as contender after contender were eliminated.
He had one close call – a spark-showering save in the midst of the race’s final laps. But coming into NASCAR Overtime, Wallace found himself inside of the top 10 and firmly in contention for Daytona glory.
The two-lap shootout that ensued was chaotic, and ‘Bubba’ wasn’t spared from the pandemonium. Race leader Almirola was spun by eventual winner Austin Dillon going down the backstretch on the final lap. Wallace managed to dodge the incident to place himself into a battle with Denny Hamlin for second.
Wallace and Hamlin dueled to the checkered flag, where contact led to a crash cross the start-finish line after Hamlin claimed a flat tire from initial contact left him out of control and sailing into Wallace’s machine.
Petty wasn’t enthused about the crash after the race. Wallace claimed the first thing Petty had told him was not to crash the car, though the pair laughed about the incident afterward in the care center. The incident also led to a spat between Wallace and Hamlin, albeit one the runner-up believed they’d shrug off quickly.
“We’re both pissed off at each either,” Wallace said. “But we’re racers. We’re competitive, and we’ll go into Atlanta and be fine. I might be kicked out of the basketball league, but whatever.”
Regardless of the crash, Wallace’s Speedweeks ended in a second-place result that rose above any expectations the young rookie or transitioning team could have anticipated.
The future remains uncertain. Restrictor-plate success doesn’t guarantee speed on intermediate or short-tracks, and another stiff test awaits the team next weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
But for one clear night in Daytona, Wallace and RPM were left with reason to smile and celebrate.