DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Bubba Wallace ran into problems early and late during his first Daytona 500 driving for Michael Jordan on Sunday.
He still came out of NASCAR’s big race with another milestone, becoming the first black driver to lead a lap in the Daytona 500.
Wallace dove into the low line late in the second leg to take the lead on lap 129 in the No. 23 Toyota. He lost the lead back to two-time defending champion Denny Hamlin – who owns 23XI alongside Jordan – and finished third at the end of the stage.
Wallace got caught in a fiery, chaotic final lap, finishing 17th in a race won by Michael McDowell.
“He was running in the front and fighting for stage wins. That’s what we want to see,” Hamlin said of Wallace.
Wallace had to go into the pit lane with 22 laps left in the race because he felt a vibration in the Toyota. He fell one lap behind, pushing Hamlin to nudge his boss and Toyota teammate toward his run on a record third consecutive Daytona 500 championship.
Hamlin finished fifth.
“We’ve worked together a few times,” said Hamlin. “I actually thought he was going to win the second stage.”
Wallace finished second in the 2018 Daytona 500 for the highest finish in the race by a black driver.
Wallace had a solid first two-thirds of the rain-delayed race at Daytona International Speedway after a tumultuous start in Jordan’s debut race.
Jordan’s No. 23 Toyota failed twice before the race, prompting NASCAR to kick the team’s auto chief off the site. The car passed the third attempt, but had to start from the back of the field. Jordan watched the start of the race from a luxury suite.
The six-time NBA champion had his first conversation with the 23XI crew chief when he called Mike Wheeler to find out why the team failed to get to the inspection.
Jordan joined NASCAR as the first Black main owner of a full-time Cup Series team in nearly 50 years. He has a close relationship with Hamlin and has historically rooted in the Joe Gibbs Racing driver from the pits.
This venture is no joke for Jordan. Jordan was a child when his late father packed the car and took the family to NASCAR races at southern circuits such as Daytona, Darlington Raceway and the defunct Rockingham Speedway.
Jordan once said he sets his clock to watch NASCAR every week.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Jordan and Wallace didn’t meet until this week. Jordan hit town in the days before the race and played some golf – of course – and had a TV team meeting with Wallace and Hamlin.
“I feel like he’s going to learn to win. He’s got the talent,” Jordan told Fox Sports. “We wouldn’t have invested in him and picked him if he didn’t have the talent to win. By the end of the year I think he’ll have a chance and probably win at least a few races. More, I’d be delighted. “
Wallace was winless in his first 112 career Cup starts, all driving in No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports. Wallace is NASCAR’s only full-time black full-time driver and raised his profile last summer when he successfully called for the series to ban the display of Confederate flags on racetracks. His activism caught the attention of corporate America, which raised enough money through five companies to sponsor the entire cup season.
27-year-old Wallace flashed speed in the No. 23 Toyota – yes, Jordan’s old Bulls number – during Speedweeks, leading the only practice session this week. He qualified sixth before falling to the back of the pack due to problems arising from pit top practice.