Wallace Marks Milestone At Dover

By Michelle LaFranca Dover International Speedway

Bubba Wallace marks a personal milestone at Dover International Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 22.

Wallace, the driver of the No. 43 Chevrolet for Richard Petty Motorsports, will make his 100th NASCAR Cup Series start in the “Drydene 311” on Aug. 22 at the Monster Mile. The one-mile, highbanked, concrete oval has long been one of Wallace’s favorites.

“I love Dover,” Wallace said in 2017, his first year in the NASCAR Cup Series. “It is by far my favorite track on the schedule. I love racing here. We’ve had a lot of success here in the past going all the way back to K&N. It’s just a ton of fun to race here.”

Wallace won the “Dover 150” NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Dover in 2011 and had two top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the Monster Mile, including a second-place finish in the “Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200” in 2016, and an eighth-place run in the “OneMain Financial 200” in 2017.

Since starting his career at age 9, Wallace, now 26, has continued to make strides in the world of racing. Wallace made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2017 at Pocono Raceway. His three top-10 finishes come as Richard Petty Motorsports aims to return to Victory Lane for the first time since 2014. Wallace’s best finish in the NASCAR Cup Series came with a second-place run in the 2018 Daytona 500.

The milestone comes during an eventful year for Wallace, whose success over his racing years is not only measured through statistics but heart. Wallace, the NASCAR Cup Series’ only full-time African-American driver, continues to advocate for diversity and inclusion in the racing community.

Wallace is heavily involved in Drive for Diversity, a program that helps women and minorities to seek careers in NASCAR through which he began his NASCAR career in 2010. Wallace was also a vocal supporter of NASCAR’s Confederate flag ban earlier this year.

“I’ve heard too many comments from first-time fans at the track that say they saw the Confederate flag and it made them feel uncomfortable,” said Wallace in an interview with NBC’s “Today” in June. “I’m speaking up for the people at the track who feel this way.”

In the wake of the protests around the death of George Floyd in May, Wallace raced at Martinsvillle in June with #blacklivesmatter on the rear quarter-panel, and the words compassion, love and understanding featured prominently on the hood on his way to an 11th-place finish. The car received positive social feedback by other prominent African-American athletes such as LeBron James and Richard Sherman.

“I think by running this branding on our car, putting the hashtag out there, it’s part of bringing more awareness to it … educating ourselves,” Wallace said in an interview leading up the Martinsville race. “So people will look up what this hashtag means and, hopefully, get a better understanding.”

Less than two weeks later, drivers, crew members and the entire sport embraced Wallace during an emotional pre-race ceremony at Talladega as an investigation was unfolding surrounding a possible hate crime. While FBI and NASCAR investigations found that an intentional, racist act was not carried out, the public had the opportunity to see the respect Wallace has earned among his fellow competitors.

“The sport is changing,” said Wallace after greeting fans following his 14th-place finish at Talladega. “I’m going to keep on going. I’ve been part of this sport for a long time … and I’m proud to be a part of this sport.”

That journey continues this weekend at the Monster Mile.

47RICKYSTENHOUSE JR.@stenhousejr

Car Make: Chevrolet Team: JTG Daugherty RacingExperience: 10th year Born: Oct. 2, 1987 Age: 32 Hometown: Olive Branch, Miss. - 2011, 2012 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion - Two top-10 finishes in 15 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Dover - 2013 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year - Earned first NASCAR Cup Series victory in 2017 at Talladega - 2010 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year

48JIMMIEJOHNSON @JimmieJohnson

Car Make: Chevrolet Team: Hendrick MotorsportsExperience: 20th year Born: Sept. 17, 1975 Age: 44 Hometown: El Cajon, Calif. - 2006-10, 2013, 2016 NASCAR Cup Series champion - Leads all drivers with 11 NASCAR Cup Series wins at Dover - 2006, 2013 Daytona 500 champion - 2009 Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year