Photo – Jerry Markland/Getty Images
The last four NASCAR XFINITY Series races for Roush Fenway Racing driver Darrell Wallace Jr. have produced three top-tens and a solid grip on ninth place in the standings, but that doesn’t mean Wallace is satisfied with the results.
Friday night’s fifth place run in the Alsco 300 at Kentucky Speedway, however, provided ample evidence the RFR program is headed in the right direction.
“It’s a good night for us, but we’ve got to be better,” said Wallace, an alumnus of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program. “We finished fifth, so that was a good rebound from when we showed up here at Kentucky. We were way off in left field, so we worked hard all night long.
“There were no mistakes on pit road. I kept sliding through, so I need to work on that. The mistakes are on me, but my guys are awesome. They did a great job, but we’ve got to be better. Fifth is good, but we’re getting close to Chase time, so we need to start winning.”
Coincidentally, the inaugural NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase begins Sept. 24 at Kentucky Speedway. Though 12 drivers will qualify, a victory between now and then will guarantee a spot for a series regular. Three full-time XFINITY Series drivers – Erik Jones, Elliott Sadler and Daniel Suarez – have accounted for four victories in 16 races so far this year.