INTERVIEW Uncommon Drive

Last February, Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. was a NASCAR Cup Series rookie when he finished second in the Daytona 500, behind the wheel of Richard Petty Motorsports’ No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro, a number made iconic by “the King” himself. Wallace was not only just twenty-four years old; he was not only in just his fifth Cup race; but he was also the first African American stock car driver to ride through the checkered flag at the famous race since 1971—a historic appearance that earned him a phone call from another barrier breaker, Hank Aaron. “That was pretty cool,” says Wallace, who grew up near