Rookie will make his Second Monster Energy Series Start in No. 43 Smithfield Ford
Weekend Statistics and Notes
Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. made his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start last weekend while filling in for the injured Aric Almirola. In his first run with the No. 43 team, Wallace had some issues with pit road that hindered a good finish at Pocono Raceway. He’ll use his lessons from last weekend and bring them to a Michigan International Speedway (MIS).
Wallace has four NASCAR starts at MIS between the NASCAR XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series. He scored his best finish of ninth in the 2016 XFINITY race. Wallace showed success on intermediate tracks this season in the XFINITY Series. He scored four sixth-place finishes in five intermediate track starts this season.
Appearances
Fans will have the chance to meet “The King” Richard Petty at the South Bay Eagle Point Marina and the Pointe Bar & Grill in Clark Lake, Mich. Fans are allowed up to two items per person for autographs.
When: Friday, June 16, 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Where: Pointe Bar & Grill, Clark Lake, Mich.
Wallace will join fellow competitor Ty Dillon in the MIS Champions Club for a Q&A session before they both hit the track later that day.
When: Sunday, June 18, 12:15 p.m.
Where: Champions Club
Wallace will stop by the Ford stage in the Fanzone for a question and answer session prior to the Firekeepers Casino 400.
When: Sunday, June 18, 12:30 p.m.
Where: MIS Fanzone
Petty will also participate in Smithfield’s Grillmaster Challenge prior to the Monster Energy Series race. Pitmaster Tuffy Stone will emcee and help Petty judge the Smithfield Grill Master Challenge. The 2017 competition will feature three fans as competitors who will be chosen at random. They will be given 90 minutes to prepare their own signature dish featuring Smithfield products. Petty and Stone will judge the plates based on originality and creativity; oral presentation and visual appearance. The chef of the winning plate will receive a “King” prize pack.
When: Sunday, June 18, 12:30 p.m.
Where: Smithfield Display at MIS Fanzone
Weekend Chatter
“Michigan has always been a good place for me. I’ve typically had a lot of speed off the truck. We’ll definitely practice pit road during practice sessions this weekend. It’s a fast track, and then, you add dealing with the Cup car speeds in Turns One and Three. We’ll work on getting our car snugged up just enough for those turns where cars tend to get a little free. I spent a decent amount of time in the Ford SIM yesterday and got comfortable to the car and worked more with the race team. We’re looking take the lessons learned from last weekend to do better this week. Not making mistakes will be key to come away with a good solid Top-15, Top-20.”
About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields one team in competition in the NASCAR premier series with driver Aric Almirola. Almirola will return to the iconic No. 43 Ford with partners Smithfield Foods, STP, United States Air Force and Fresh From Florida. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
