After finishing in second place in the Daytona 500, Bubba Wallace has become a fan favorite among big-name NASCAR drivers. Despite his 24th-place in the standings, Wallace has maintained his popularity among the NASCAR faithful.
RPM picks up option, Bubba Wallace to stay in the 43 through 2020
He has picked it up so much so, that Richard Petty Motorsports has picked up an option to extend Wallace’s contract with the famed No. 43 team through to the 2020 season.
“Our highs have been well documented and so have our lows,” said Wallace Jr. in a release from Richard Petty Motorsports. “It’s all a part of growing together as a team with a new alliance, a new shop, a new manufacturer, a new car and being a rookie driver. It’s a wild ride and I’m thankful to the Petty family for allowing me to be on it. Richard is competitive, and I think about winning in the ’43’ all the time. We both want the same thing and we’re building that. Today, allows us to get this confirmed and continue to focus on the future.”
Along with his top-five finish at Daytona, Wallace also scored a top-10 at the Texas Motor Speedway and has beaten out Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron numerous times en route to Sunoco Rookie of the Race awards.
“We have faith in Bubba and in our team that we’ll continue to get better, together,” said team owner Richard Petty. “This confirmation allows our partners to start building for next season and beyond. It also allows the different companies that we’re talking to now know that we’re very serious about building our future with Bubba as our driver.”
Wallace’s next race in the No. 43 car will be on Sunday when the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series travels to Pocono for the Gander Outdoors 400. The race is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by NBCSN.
Sunoco Rookie of the Year Point Standings
1. William Byron | 358
2. Bubba Wallace | 315
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