Darrell Wallace Junior was introduced Wednesday as the new driver of the Number-43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford starting with the 2018 Monster Energy Series. He’ll replace Aric Almirola, who’s leaving the organization at season’s end. Wallace, 24, has been competing in NASCAR national series since 2012. He’s a five-time race winner in the Camping World Truck Series and most recently drove full-time for Roush Fenway Racing in the X-finity Series. Earlier this season, Wallace made four starts in the Number-43 entry while Almirola recovered from a back injury suffered in May at Kansas Speedway. His best finish in those four starts was eleventh at Kentucky Speedway.
Richard Childress Racing has added NASCAR veteran Andy Petree as an advisor in its competition department. In his thirty-year career, Petree’s most notable accomplishment came as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt’s Cup Series championships in 1993 and 1994. He was a car owner from 1996 through 2004, fielding entries in all three of NASCAR’s national series. Petree most recently worked as a television analyst for FOX Sports.