Post by November KS on Oct 26, 2013 14:04:17 GMT -6
This is a great story!!
Nate Ryan, USA TODAY Sports
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Darrell Wallace Jr. became the first African-American driver to win in one of NASCAR's national series in nearly 50 years, winning the Camping World Truck Series race Saturday at Martinsville Speedway.
Wallace seized the lead from Ty Dillon shortly after a restart and held on for the win in the Kroger 200.
The victory was the first by a black driver since Wendell Scott's Dec. 1, 1963 win at Jacksonville, Fla.
Wallace, who turned 20 Oct. 8, is in his rookie season driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports on the truck circuit and is the fourth African-American to drive full time in one of NASCAR's top three national series, joining Scott, Willy T. Ribbs and Bill Lester.
"This one was for sure and we capitalized on it," Wallace said as he fought back tears after the win.
The Mobile, Ala., native has welcomed shouldering the magnitude of trying to blaze a trail in a sport whose competitors have been predominantly white.
"That's cool," Wallace told USA TODAY Sports in February. "I'm going to do the best I can to take that number from (four) to 30 in 10 years or so.
"(Young African-Americans) want to see who they can be like," Wallace said. "They look at NASCAR, (and) is there anybody there? No. Now it's my job to perform well on track and off track for kids of color … and for people to say, 'There's someone we can look up to now.' "
Nate Ryan, USA TODAY Sports
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Darrell Wallace Jr. became the first African-American driver to win in one of NASCAR's national series in nearly 50 years, winning the Camping World Truck Series race Saturday at Martinsville Speedway.
Wallace seized the lead from Ty Dillon shortly after a restart and held on for the win in the Kroger 200.
The victory was the first by a black driver since Wendell Scott's Dec. 1, 1963 win at Jacksonville, Fla.
Wallace, who turned 20 Oct. 8, is in his rookie season driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports on the truck circuit and is the fourth African-American to drive full time in one of NASCAR's top three national series, joining Scott, Willy T. Ribbs and Bill Lester.
"This one was for sure and we capitalized on it," Wallace said as he fought back tears after the win.
The Mobile, Ala., native has welcomed shouldering the magnitude of trying to blaze a trail in a sport whose competitors have been predominantly white.
"That's cool," Wallace told USA TODAY Sports in February. "I'm going to do the best I can to take that number from (four) to 30 in 10 years or so.
"(Young African-Americans) want to see who they can be like," Wallace said. "They look at NASCAR, (and) is there anybody there? No. Now it's my job to perform well on track and off track for kids of color … and for people to say, 'There's someone we can look up to now.' "
