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Post by twiss43 on Jun 5, 2017 15:54:28 GMT -5
Richard Petty Motorsports announced today that NASCAR XFINITY Series regular Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. will pilot the #43 Ford while Aric Almirola recovers from his injuries.
Wallace brings five years of NASCAR experience in both the XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series and has been a member of the Ford Performance team since 2015. Wallace, a graduate of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program and inaugural member of NASCAR Next, will make his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Pocono Raceway this weekend.
The 23-year-old Mobile, Ala., native has five years of experience in the NASCAR XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series, where he's tallied five wins, 20 Top Fives, 60 Top 10s and five Pole awards.
"Driving the famed 43 car is an unbelievable opportunity for any race car driver," said Wallace. "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 (Almirola) 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."
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Richard Petty Motorsports has partnered with Ford Performance and Roush Fenway Racing since 2010, and now are teaming up once again during Almirola's absence. Almirola, who suffered an acute compression fracture to his T5 Vertebra after a multi-car accident at Kansas Speedway, is currently recovering from the injury which has a standard healing time of eight to 12 weeks.
"We're excited to have Bubba in the #43 car and to give him his first Monster Energy Series start," said Brian Moffitt, CEO Richard Petty Motorsports. "He has shown success in NASCAR's national series and we look forward to him continuing to display his abilities in our car. We're fortunate to have someone with Bubba's potential in the Ford Performance family who can step in for us until Aric is healed."
"We are excited for Bubba to get this opportunity to drive the iconic #43 Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports," said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. "We couldn't be happier with the progress of Aric Almirola's recovery and can't wait to get him back. In the meantime, this is a great opportunity for Bubba to show what he can do at the top level of the sport, and we are committed to helping RPM win races. We are proud of the collaboration between RPM, Roush Fenway and Ford to make this driver transition happen, and it's a great example of the One Ford mentality we have in order to make the overall Ford NASCAR program better."
Wallace will jump in the #43 Smithfield Ford this weekend at Pocono Raceway starting with practice on Friday morning. He will have practice sessions and qualifying to work with the team to get the car ready for the Pocono 400 Sunday, June 11.
--- Richard Petty Motorsports / Breaking Limits ---
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Post by jlp4345 on Jun 5, 2017 19:06:42 GMT -5
I really hope I'm wrong on this, but really afraid this is a huge mistake. This seems totally like a Ford decision to me, which to me shouldn't even come into account with the way they've been running compared to Stewart/Haas and Penske. I think Regan was doing a great job, was definitely on his way to a great run on Sunday at Dover until he blew a tire, they were consistently getting better the whole race, and with this weekend being Pocono of all weekends is a real head scratcher to me on this decision. I mean if you were going to put Wallace in it, wouldn't you have done it at Dover where he's claimed all weekend was his best, favorite track. Pocono is to me one of the toughest on the circuit, and with this being his debut and with them going ahead and announcing that he'll be in it until Aric returns without even seeing if he's up for this kind of move up, tells me that they let somebody else make this decision. I guess I just have issues with, he hasn't even won and Xfinity race yet, and he tears up a lot of equipment, his Xfinity team is shutting down after Pocono, and now they think he's ready for Cup? I'm just afraid this is gonna hurt RPM a lot more than it's gonna help, especially in the Wallet. I really hope I'm wrong.
Jason
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Post by pb1945 on Jun 5, 2017 19:51:56 GMT -5
Kinda surprised me. I thought Regan Smith was doing a excellent job. When I first saw this I thought maybe Regan hurt himself Sunday. The 43 has been showing some progress why in the world start a rookie ??
Pocono sure isn't the track to start a Rookie Cup start.
Dan 
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Post by jlp4345 on Jun 5, 2017 20:20:16 GMT -5
I'm right there with you Dan, my thoughts exactly. Don't understand this, it has to be $$$$ somewhere, in somebody's pocket, just hope it's RPM, afraid they're gonna need it. Really hope I'm wrong, I hope he comes right out and runs good, but history tells me he's gonna wreck it, and if not his experience level tells me he's gonna be beyond slow. I hate to pass judgement before hand so I'll just leave it that I hope Bubba surprises me.
Jason
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Post by jessn16 on Jun 5, 2017 20:48:02 GMT -5
There's a lot for me to like here, but it almost immediately gets tamped down by a feeling that we're not really in control of any of this.
Finally, I can cheer for an Alabama Gang driver again. My home state has been sorely underrepresented the past few years (decades?). I know there's got to be someone to run since Hut Stricklin's last race but darned if I can think of who it would be. There's going to be a buzz here because of Wallace's Drive for Diversity ties, etc.
On the other hand, unless the plans to go to two cars were imminent, I don't think RPM went out and hired/promoted Wallace from Roush. Because Aric's job is certainly not in danger. So we basically find ourselves doing developmental work for Roush, and let's say the impossible happens -- Wallace wins a race down the stretch -- that's just going to follow him to whatever car Roush wants to put him in next year under the Roush banner. And, like was mentioned above, I even question whether RPM cooked up this idea on its own, or whether Ford walked in the building and said, "this is what you're going to do if you want to keep getting our stuff."
Jess
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Post by pmossberg on Jun 6, 2017 12:07:16 GMT -5
I too had hoped Regan would be in the seat until Aric returns. But not for nothing, Bubba's currently in fourth place in the Xfinity standings, with 7 top tens, and 2 DNFs in 11 races. That's got to mean something. The 2 DNFs were accidents at Daytona and Bristol. The Daytona wreck was not Bubba's doing. He got caught up in a "big one" started by three other cars. I just watched a video of the Bristol wreck. Looks like he may have started it when he spun after tapping the car in front of him. But he didn't hit anything. Car looked ok until another driver hit him. No insight into any prior Petty/Wallace connections. But Kyle was with Bubba when he unveiled a Mello Yello paint scheme earlier this year. www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2017/4/20/darrell-wallace-jr-unveils-new-paint-scheme-richmond-kyle-petty.htmlAnd Kyle has been pretty positive about this on Twitter. |
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Post by djblue43 on Jun 7, 2017 0:15:37 GMT -5
Personally speaking, who really gives a fat rat about what Kyle thinks about anything.
My biggest question is that, according to Jason, the Roush Xfinity team this guy drives for is shutting down. "I guess I just have issues with, he hasn't even won and Xfinity race yet, and he tears up a lot of equipment, his Xfinity team is shutting down after Pocono, and now they think he's ready for Cup?" Why is the team shutting down?
So he's fourth in the standings. If he's that great, let Jack put him in a car instead of pawning him off on us.
So he's a graduate of NASCRAPs "Drive for Diversity". Big deal. That's nothing but NASCRAPs version of PC. Doesn't prove a thing as far as his ability to actually drive a Cup Car. I actually think it's funny that he calls himself "Bubba". "Bubba" is SSSSOOOOOOOOOO Southern and NASCRAP has been RUNNING from it's Southern roots for years. Anyone else see the irony in that?
I have to agree with some of the others. There's something about this that stinks. Regan was running fine, MAYBE even better than Aric, and was showing a lot of potential. Now this happens, and it's back to square one with a rookie Cup driver. I see the great possibility of a lot of torn up sheet metal and cars in the near future. I hope I'm wrong on all counts and things go well. But I'm not putting any money on it.
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Post by pb1945 on Jun 7, 2017 19:00:08 GMT -5
Regan Smith made the most sense of all the ( pickable ) drivers. He's very steady every car he's been in he's given it a good ride. He should have been the choice before Brian Scott was put in the 44. Regan would have given that car a MUCH better run. He's consistent enough they could gave seen and measured improvement.
Fret not folks take heart I think Aric is going to heal a little quicker. I just hope they don't screw around and lose progress that has been made on the car while trying to suit Bubba.
I'm not plugged in anywhere but haven't heard a peep out of Regan.
Before the blown tire Regan had the car lookin for a top 15 maybe 10 finish. Now that's playing in some tall grass but it was lookin good.
We'll see about Pocono. There is such a thing as rookie luck dang sure going to need all he can get there.
Go 43
Dan
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Post by maj45 on Jun 11, 2017 18:57:23 GMT -5
Do you think the selection and rushing Bubba into the 43 has anything to do with the fact he's voicing a character in Cars 3, a Disney product, which opens this week? Coincidence? I think not. Not to mention the King is also voicing a part!
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Post by pmossberg on Jun 12, 2017 9:19:36 GMT -5
It amuses me that while most of the general media thought it was a good call to put Bubba in the 43, the most heated criticism I've seen has been here among the RPM fans.
I think he did a decent job this weekend. Qualified 16th on a tough track, running around 20th, and got caught speeding on pit road...certainly not the first one to ever to that! I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do!
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Post by jlp4345 on Jun 12, 2017 10:15:53 GMT -5
I think the general media thought it was a good thing because deep down they don't really care how the 43 runs, it's a story on several fronts, something to talk about and they have to work around these people, so they're not gonna say it's a mistake whether they're really thinking that or not. We care about how that car, and that team really runs so it strikes home with us. But I'll have to say I totally agree, I thought he did a good job on track, pleasantly surprised me. He definitely needs to work on this digital dash thing and the speeding (he sped 3 times in a row) but on track he did a lot better than I was expecting. Looking forward to seeing what he can do in Michigan. On another note, I really liked all the 21 and 43 pics and stuff from this weekend, I guess it's just because of Blaney and Bubba being best friends because Aric and Blaney have been out there together, but it's still cool to see. There's a whole lot of history in those two numbers.
Jason
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Post by djblue43 on Jun 12, 2017 12:00:47 GMT -5
I've completely quit watching what NASCRAP calls a race. If it wasn't for this board, I'd have NOTHING to do with it at all. So I'm not exactly up on some of this stuff, but I seem to remember last year when these digital dashes were being discussed that there are different displays can be used on these things and that one of them is a display that looks like a dash full of the "traditional" analog type gauges. If this is the case, just use that display and it should at least help the speeding problem.
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Post by pb1945 on Jun 14, 2017 20:19:04 GMT -5
Quite honestly had it been another car I don't think there would not have been all the press and fanfare. Not trying to take anything away from
Bubba. Even still today the 43 draws press like crazy. If they put me in the car I'd get a lot of press. Old fat man actually gets into a cup car. LOL.
I don't think Aric will get booted to the side. The car has started to show some progress, oh wait a minute that happened a few years ago too. If Bubba keeps running the car well he'll find a spot. I hope he and the crew continue to make the car better.
Something tells me Aric may heal a week or two early. I think I would if I could. If it was just a matter of a little soreness or stiffness unless they wouldn't let me I'd be back in the car.
A lead lap finish at Michigan would be impressive. We are usually a lap down before the first fuel run. Then struggle the rest of the race to catch a couple cautions to possibly get back on the lead lap.
Go 43
Dan
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