Richard Petty Motorsports names Darrell Wallace Jr. to substitute for injured Aric Almirola

Darrell Wallace Jr. becomes the first African-American to race in NASCAR’s top division since 2006. 

Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. will serve as the permanent substitute for the injured Aric Almirola and drive Richard Petty Motorsports’ No. 43 car beginning this weekend at Pocono Raceway, the team announced Monday.

Wallace becomes the first African-American driver to compete in NASCAR’s premier national touring series since Bill Lester started two races in 2006. The 23-year-old Wallace will remain the driver of the No. 43 until Almirola is cleared to return from a broken back suffered in a crash during the May 13 Cup race at Kansas Speedway. There is no timetable on when Almirola may return, but he is expected to miss 2-3 months.

“Driving the famed 43 car is an unbelievable opportunity for any race car driver,” Wallace said in a statement. “With all that Richard Petty has contributed to the sport, I’m honored to start my first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event with this team. I’m incredibly grateful that Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports and Smithfield have the confidence in me to help fill the seat until Aric fully recovers, which is the most important piece of this.

“Moving up to the Monster Energy Series is a tremendous challenge, but I am ready to represent this organization, help the 43 team get the best results possible and prove that I belong at this level.”

Wallace currently ranks fourth in the Xfinity Series standings driving the No. 6 car fielded by Roush Fenway Racing, which like RPM is backed by Ford. Coinciding with Wallace’s promotion, RFR will suspend operations of Wallace’s No. 6 team following Saturday’s race at Pocono due to a lack of sponsorship.

“The transition shows the strong collaboration we currently have in the Ford stable,” RFR team president Steve Newmark said in a statement. “We believe this will be a great opportunity for both Bubba and RPM, and will continue to strengthen the overall Ford program.”