On Saturday, Darrell Wallace Jr. raced his way into cyber-encyclopedias and history books.
The 20-year-old is the second black driver to win on NASCAR's national level and the first in a half-century. He won the truck series race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, the Associated Press reports. Driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, Wallace defeated Jeb Burton.
Wendell Scott won in December 1963 in Jacksonville, Fla., in a race that is now known as the Sprint Cup Series, the highest of NASCAR's three national levels, according to the AP.
"We congratulate Darrell Wallace Jr. on his first national series victory, one that will be remembered as a remarkable moment in our sport's history," Brian France, NASCAR's chairman and CEO, said in a statement. "Darrell's success, following fellow NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduate Kyle Larson's win earlier this season, is indicative of a youth and multicultural movement that bodes well for NASCAR's future growth."
For his part, Wallace told the AP that he's happy that all of his hard work has finally paid off.
"This means everything," Wallace said. "This is an emotional win for me, especially doing it in Wendell Scott's backyard. I love coming here to Martinsville; it's always good to me … I think it's my third trip here. I love coming here. The fans are great here."
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