NASCAR has traditionally not been a sport many Black people pay attention to because of the lack of diversity, but Black history and NASCAR history was made this past weekend.
Meet 23-year-old NASCAR driver Darrell “Bubba” Wallace. Last weekend, Wallace became the first Black driver in over a decade to compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The last Black driver in the Cup Series was Bill Lester in 2006.
This was the first start for Wallace, a Ford driver, who was filling in for Aric Almirola, who was badly injured in a crash in May.
Wallace, a driver with Roush Fenway Racing, placed 26th in the race, which took place on Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway. Many are calling him the future of NASCAR.
The president of Wallace’s racing team, Steve Newmark, released a statement praising Wallace, saying, “We are very proud of Bubba and his development at Roush Fenway Racing. We believe that Bubba has tremendous potential and will continue to excel in NASCAR’s top series. He has been a great representative of our organization, both on and off the track, and we’ve enjoyed being part of his growth as a driver.”
Wallace looks to have a long career.
