Kevin Harvick, the driver of the #4 Busch NA Ford, wrecks as he crosses the finish line during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 29, 2017, in Martinsville, Virginia. Photo – Stacy Revere/Getty Images
The drama between Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott garnered most of the attention after Sunday’s First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway, and justifiably so.
When Hamlin dumped Elliott in turn three with three laps left in regulation, the entire complexion of the race – and of Elliott’s season – change in an instant.
Overshadowed, but not overlooked, was the ongoing war between Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff contenders Kevin Harvick and Ryan Blaney, who swapped sheet metal throughout the event. Continue reading →
Darrell Wallace Jr., the driver of the #98 Nickelodeon Green Slime Ford, stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR XFINITY Series TheHouse.com 300 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 16, 2017, in Joliet, Illinois. Photo – Biran Lawdermilk/Getty Images
The historical and social significance of his move to Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing is not lost on Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr., who was announced on Wednesday as the driver of the iconic No. 43 car fielded by Richard Petty Motorsports.
Wallace will be the first African-American driver to compete fulltime at NASCAR’s highest level since NASCAR Hall of Famer Wendell Scott posted the final four of his 147 career top-tens in 1971.
Does that add pressure to Wallace’s ascendance to the Monster Energy Series level? The simple answer is
“Yes.”
“There’ve been a lot of people who’ve come up through the ranks and tried to carry on the legacy that Wendell Scott had laid down for us, and for me to step in that realm and take on that role is a lot of pressure,” acknowledged Wallace, a product of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity and NASCAR Next programs.
“But we’re going to go out there and continue to do what we do on and off the race track, and that’s to represent the brand of myself and (team co-owner) Richard Petty and his image the best way I can and continue to grow together.”
Jimmie Johnson, the driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, stands on the grid prior to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 22, 2017, in Kansas City, Kansas. Photo – Jared C Tilton/Getty Images
On lap 188 of Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, Jimmie Johnson’s hopes for a record eighth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship appeared to take a telling blow. Continue reading →
Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 may have been the opening race in the Round of 8 of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoff, but the real drama involved two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates outside the championship battle. Continue reading →
