Bubba Wallace won’t return to Richard Petty Motorsports in 2021

Wallace informed the team on Thursday

On Thursday, Richard Petty Motorsports confirmed that Bubba Wallace will not return to the NASCAR Cup Series team in 2021.

This decision came from Wallace himself, who is expected to take other offers.

“Earlier this morning, Darrell ‘Bubba’ Wallace Jr., informed Richard Petty Motorsports he will not be returning for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) season,” RPM said in a statement. “We will complete the season with Wallace behind the wheel of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.

The team added, “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.”

Richard Petty Motorsports offered Wallace a part-ownership stake in the team in an effort to keep him onboard.

Related: Bubba Wallace addresses fans that want politics out of NASCAR

Bubba Wallace comments on 2021

“This was not an easy decision as I have nothing but the utmost respect for Richard Petty and his family, but I believe it’s time for someone else to take over the reins of the No. 43,” Wallace stated via social media.

Wallace added, “Thank you to the King and everyone at Richard Petty Motorsports for giving me the opportunity to start my Cup Series career. I’ve grown so much as a driver and as a person since joining them. We’ve got nine more races together, and I hope we can finish the 2020 season on a high note.”

Wallace has driven for Richard Petty Motorsports since his debut in 2017. He’s run 103 races to date with three top-5’s and a career best of 2nd.

Related: FBI concludes noose investigation from Talladega NASCAR race

NASCAR Cup Series rides still up for grabs in 2021

Car No | Team | Current Driver

No. 14
Stewart-Haas Racing
Clint Bowyer

No. 32
Go Fas Racing
Corey LaJoie

No. 42
Chip Ganassi Racing
Matt Kenseth

No. 48
Hendrick Motorsports
Jimmie Johnson

Related: NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace shares stories of police encounters

Bubba Wallace in a mask - NASCAR driver
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS – JULY 23: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #43 Victory Junction Chevrolet, prepares for the NASCAR Cup Series Super Start Batteries 400 Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts at Kansas Speedway on July 23, 2020 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Bubba Wallace Backstory

Wallace has had a drama filled season in 2020.

In the beginning of the pandemic, Wallace competed in NASCAR sanctioned events on iRacing with the mojority of NASCAR Cup Series competitors. After contact with Clint Bowyer, Wallace stopped in the middle of the track at Bristol, raging quitting the event. He lost real-world sponsor Blue-Emu as a result.

Related: Bubba Wallace loses real-world NASCAR sponsorship after rage quitting iRacing event (Video)

Social issues

In May 2020, Wallace spoke out on social issues following the killing of George Floyd. He told stories of his own encounters with the police.

In June, Wallace took part in a CNN interview where he discussed the Black Lives Matter movement. He then encouraged NASCAR to take the next step, to ban the Confederate flag.

Related: Wallace comments on kneeling and the Confederate flag at NASCAR races

Confederate flag

A week later, NASCAR banned the Confederate flag from all events and properties ahead of the race at Martinsville Speedway. Wallace entered that race without a sponsor and ran a Black Lives Matter scheme.

Also in June, a noose was discovered in the Talladega Superspeedway garage stall of the No. 43 car driven by Bubba Wallace. This came a day after a noose was found hanging from a tree at Sonoma Raceway in California.

The FBI was called to investigate the noose. The NASCAR president promised a lifetime ban for the person who hung it. However, the FBI discovered that the noose was there since at least October 2019 and thus it was not directed as a hate crime toward Wallace.

In July, president Donald Trump tweeted about the noose incident. He called it a hoax and stated NASCAR had their lowest ratings ever as a result. Wallace responded to the comments with love.

Related: Bubba Wallace is ‘pissed off’ that NASCAR fans draw hoax assumptions regarding noose

Related: Bubba Wallace responds to HATE from Donald Trump

New sponsors

In the months since, sponsor after sponsor have joined Richard Petty Motorsports. Cash App and Door Dash to name a few. The drivers has also signed a long list of endorsement deals.

Bubba Wallace is now one of the most-popular and also most-hated drivers in the NASCAR garage area. With a deal pending, he’ll be heading into 2021 with a new team.

Wallace has not made an announcement of where he’ll be driving in 2021. However, by informing RPM that he declines a renewal, that tells you a deal has been signed or is close to being signed with another team.

Chip Ganassi Racing is the most likely landing spot for Bubba Wallace. The No. 42 team was forced to fire Kyle Larson after the driver used the n-word in an April iRacing event. Matt Kenseth jumped out of retirement to pilot the machine through 2020 but the seat remains unconfirmed for 2021.

Related: NASCAR’s only African-American driver comments on Kyle Larson’s n-word usage

Related: Bubba Wallace could take over Kyle Larson’s former No. 42 NASCAR ride

Links

Bubba Wallace | Richard Petty MotorsportsNASCAR

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