Bubba Wallace will not return to Richard Petty Motorsports in 2021, Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic first reported on Thursday (Sept. 10). Wallace is currently in his third full-time NASCAR Cup Series season, all having driven the No. 43 Chevrolet.
Richard Petty Motorsports confirmed the news.
“Earlier this morning, Darrell ‘Bubba’ Wallace Jr., informed Richard Petty Motorsports he will not be returning for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) season,” the team said in a statement. “We will complete the season with Wallace behind the wheel of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. We look forward to the next chapter in the making for the iconic No. 43 team. We will announce our new driver in the near future.”
The 26-year-old also released a statement.
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) September 10, 2020
Wallace, currently NASCAR’s lone full-time Black driver, has reportedly spoken with other teams, including the Chip Ganassi Racing for its No. 42 Chevrolet for next year.
It’s also been my understanding for several weeks that Ganassi rescinded his offer when he received no answer.
— Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer) September 10, 2020
This season, Wallace has one top five and five top 10s. His season-best finish of fifth came in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Aug. 29. He is currently 23rd in the championship standings.
Overall, in 103 career Cup Series starts, Wallace has three top fives and nine top-10 finishes. He earned his career-best finish of second place in the 2018 Daytona 500 at Daytona.
About the author
Mark Kristl joined Frontstretch at the beginning of the 2019 NASCAR season. He is the site's ARCA Menards Series editor. Kristl is also an Eagle Scout and a proud University of Dayton alum.
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I guess Petty has had enough of Side Show Bubba.
wasn’t it rumored something about michael jordan and hamlin starting up a team?
i guess tomorrow we’ll hear where he’s going. be interesting to see who goes to 43, since most drivers looking for ride know about the type of equipment the 43 has. sponsorship will be interesting as well. i know bubba has picked up a bunch of personal sponsors, but none for the car.
Could be interesting to see what he can do with better equipment. Having said that, he still needs talent, patience and drive to compete at the Harvick/Hamlin level. If his radio chatter is any indication, he lacks two of the three…
So some owner out there, most likely on a higher tier team than Petty, is going to take the money and sign a, thus far, less than mediocre driver. He will either rise to the occasion and surprise us all or be the next Danica Patrick.
Bill B – but the thing is who? hendrick? i honestly can’t see that. Ganassi? One of the satellite Gibbs teams?
i wonder if bubba cashed out of his part ownership that he had of the 43?
janice, I know. I can’t see Hendrick either. All indications are Ganassi regardless of what Jenna Fryer said.
I would think his part ownership was contingent on him staying with Petty. He will get a nice parting gift or some worthless company stock. I doubt he will get a huge check.
Years supply of Turtle wax.
Well…, it does leave a hard-shell finish.
The current owners of RPM said Bubba already had an ownership stake. So this part makes me wonder, too.
as far as being a mediocre driver- he got 5 wins in the trucks, and was running 4th in Xfinity points when his team got shut down. He’s better than what RPM has allowed him to show.
I suspect this is the end of the 43. The only drivers with any real sponsorship are Michael Annett and Justin Allgaier. Otherwise, the 43 will be on par with the 15, or whatever it might get renumbered to.
It speaks volumes about the 43 that Bubba and his advisors felt a paid drivers job elsewhere had more upside than a minority ownership in RPM.
The team is moving steadily towards the exit.
Hmmm…should be interesting what happens next to Darrell Wallace. Sorry, not really. I do not wish him well in any NASCAR endeavor, I really don’t. Hope he rots, the damage he has done, NASCAR a willing participant too!
Along with the rich, sheltered, naïve drivers who jumped on his bandwagon way too quick! And looked and still look like damn fools. IMO.
That “Woes Me” narrative crap will spew forth AGAIN and have the white guilt morons screaming with tears of self loathing and insane behavior! Sadly. We have not seen the last of BLM “BUBBA”, and his bs rhetoric. IMO