Darrell Wallace, Jr.
Darrell Wallace, Jr. continues to build an impressive resume in racing despite the fact he only recently turned 18. But it is his talent- not his age- that influenced Joe Gibbs Racing to sign Wallace to its driver development program a few years ago.
Wallace will drive fulltime in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for JGR in 2012 in hopes of providing the organization a second straight Series title. Max Gresham would narrowly beat out his JGR teammate last season for the championship, as Wallace competed for Revolution Racing and put together an impressive campaign with three wins, five top-fives and 11 top-ten finishes in the 12 Series races. But this year it will be Wallace’s turn behind JGR’s No. 18 Toyota Camry.
In 2010, Wallace captured K&N Pro Series East Rookie of the Year honors while driving for Revolution Racing. His statistics were certainly impressive, as he earned two wins, five top-fives, and seven top-tens in the short 10-race season and finished third in points.
Wallace also made history when in the first race of the 2010 season he became the NASCAR K&N Pro Series’ youngest and first African American to win a race at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. His second win of the season would come a bit later in the season at Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire.
Garnering Rookie of the Year honors in a Series is nothing new for Wallace, who was named the 2008 Rookie of the Year in the United Auto Racing Association. He finished sixth overall in the point standings that year and became the youngest driver to ever win a race at Franklin County Speedway, his first victory in Late Models. He would return to racing Late Models in 2009 and went on to win three races and earn 11 top-five finishes in 23 Late Model races, nine of which were part of the UARA season.
Wallace is scheduled to return to the UARA circuit when the season begins in March. His racing career began in 2004 when he began competing in the Jr. Sportsman Champ Karts. He finished his first season second overall in points at the Carolina Asphalt Racing Winter Series. He moved to Bandoleros in 2005 and won an amazing 35 of the 48 races and posted 40 top-five finishes. He became the first driver to win five races in a single week. In addition, he competed against much older competition in the Outlaw Division and won all but one race in 2005.
Wallace moved up to Legends in 2006, and completed a phenomenal rookie season with 11 wins, 27 top-five finishes and 34 top-tens in 38 total starts. He started racing Late Models in 2007 competing in the final five races of the UARA Touring series.
Born in Mobile, AL, Wallace and his family moved to North Carolina for his father’s work when he was just two years old. His interest in racing began by chance at the age of nine when his father purchased a motorcycle and took it in to a shop to have fixed up. The person at the shop invited them out to a go-kart race and when Darrell, Sr. asked Darrell, Jr. if he’d liked to give it a shot, he responded yes and was quickly hooked.
Wallace also played basketball but is fully focused on his racing career now. He also enjoys paint ball and playing video games. He and his family currently reside in Concord, NC.
