Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. doesn’t fit the mold of the typical NASCAR driver. The 23-year old was born in Alabama but grew up in North Carolina.He developed an affinity for gas-powered vehicles early on and by the time he was 10 had already started competing in Bandolero and Legends cars after winning in go-karts.
In his first year in the Legend series, in 2006, he scored impressive results, including 11 wins, 27 top-5s and 34-top-10s finishes in 38 total starts, he was just 13 years old. Wallace gained the attention of NASCAR and by 2010 was racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series. Wallace made his debut in the NASCAR XFINITY series in 2012 scoring three top-10 finishes and winning a pole position in four starts. In 2013, Wallace ran his first full season in NASCAR campaigning a full season in the NASCAR Truck series. Wallace made history when he won his first NASCAR Truck series race at Martinsville Speedway on October 26, 2013. He was the first African-American to win in one of NASCAR’s National series since 1963.
The win signaled a new era for a sport that had a history of intolerance.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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