LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Darrell Wallace Jr. woke up around 2:30 a.m. ready to race. Hours later, he strode across the stage for driver introductions to a nice ovation from thousands of NASCAR fans, his little slice of race history ahead.
Wallace became just the eighth black driver to race in NASCAR's top Cup series when he started the No. 43 Ford at Pocono Raceway. During the week he chatted with team owner and Hall of Fame driver Richard Petty and, like any rookie in his debut, tried to stay calm.
"It's just another race car.