Wallace places 12th at RIR
Fred Jeter | 5/1/2015, 1:11 p.m. | Updated on 5/1/2015, 2:48 p.m.
Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. is hopeful that Talladega, Ala., will provide more racing satisfaction than he found in Richmond.
Wallace finished 12th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Toyota Care 250 on April 24 at Richmond International Raceway.
The event was won by local favorite Denny Hamlin, a graduate of Manchester High School.
Originally from Mobile, Ala., Wallace grew up in Concord, N.C., and is among the few African-Americans on the major racing circuit.
The 12th-place finish leaves Wallace in fourth place in the Xfinity season point standings behind Chris Buescher, Ty Dillon and Chase Elliott.
The next Xfinity race is Saturday, May 2, at Talladega Superspeedway.
Wallace, 21, is a member of the Roush Fenway Racing team and drives the No. 6 Ford EcoBoost Mustang.
At RIR, Wallace made pit stops on laps 51 and 112 for four new tires and fuel and never quite got his Mustang to handle like he wanted.
The car had qualified with the 11th fastest speed.
“We got it best on the last run, but, by then, I think it was too late,” he said. “The way the guys (mechanics and pit crew) worked on my car all day made me proud. Now we’re going to Talladega, where we know we’re fast.”
There is a major difference between the short track in Richmond and Talladega Superspeedway.
RIR’s oval is just three-quarters of a mile around. Talladega is 2.66 miles per lap.
