NASCAR Cup: Darrell Wallace Jr. honored by Ebony magazine

By AMANDA VINCENT

Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr., driver of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, has been named to Ebony magazine’s “Power 100” list that recognizes “leaders of color who are impacting and shaping our world today,” according to a press release from RPM.

“This is quite an honor to be recognized with others in the African-American community,” Wallace Jr. said in a press release from RPM. “It’s humbling to join a list of the other star athletes, artists and community and national leaders. I’m just trying to be the best driver that I can be and focus on winning races for Richard Petty Motorsports and our partners. To be recognized for some of our accomplishments this season is an honor and I’d like to thank Ebony for the recognition.”

Wallace is in the “MVP” category on the list. The “Power 100” list is broken into categories including “Community Crusaders,” “Disruptors,” “Entertainment & Arts,” “Entrepreneurs,” “Innovators,” “MVPs,” “Power Players” and “Women Up.” The “MVP” category is the athletic category of the list and also includes athletes like tennis champion Venus Williams and NFL player Antonio Brown, among others. Among individuals in other categories on the list are former US President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama and musicians Drake and Cardi B.

Wallace has garnered mainstream attention including being the subject of a Facebook docuseries that was viewed more than five million times and being named to lists including “50 Most Influential in Sports Culture” by Bleacher Report and “World’s Most Marketable Athletes” by SportsPro.

“We are proud of what Bubba is doing both on and off the track for our race team and our partners,” Richard Petty Motorsports Chief Executive Officer Brian Moffitt said. “We know that we have something very special with him, and he continues to break barriers outside our sport to be a first-class athlete, spokesperson and inspiration to many.”

Wallace is in his first season of full-time competition in the Cup Series, but he competed in four races last year as a substitute driver for the injured Aric Almirola. He made headlines earlier this year by finishing second in the season-opening Daytona 500. In 37-career starts, Wallace has a top-five and two top-10 finishes.

In July, RPM signed Wallace to a two-year extension, keeping him with the team through the 2020 season. He is the first African American to compete full-time in NASCAR’s top series since Wendell Scott in 1971.

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