DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Darrell Wallace Jr. will go to a back-up car for Saturday’s season-opening XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway after an accident in the first 20 minutes of opening practice on Friday.
Wallace’s No. 6 Selfeo Ford spun out 11 laps into practice after contact with Aric Almirola‘s No. 98 Fresh From Florida Ford. While racing in a big pack, the cars touched, sending Wallace’s car down to the apron of the track. It shot back upwards, smacking the outside wall and causing enough damage that his Roush Fenway Racing team immediately opted to bring out the back-up car. Almirola’s car was still good to continue.
“Just a bummer,’” Wallace said as the team quickly began preparing the other car. “I’m excited to be here, pumped and ready to be here. And I’m trying to be a better pack racer.”
The 22-year old Wallace is trying to improve his restrictor plate-racing resume and candidly spoke about the emphasis in the offseason. In five restrictor plate starts in the XFINITY Series, he has three finishes of 20th or worse. However, the 2.5-mile Daytona track is where he has posted his best restrictor plate finish of seventh in 2014.
Wallace, a 2016 championship favorite, had turned the 13th fastest lap of the early session before the accident.
“As much work as we put in the car and the offseason, to come out here and do this already it’s unfortunate,” Wallace said, “But if it’s a sign of getting it out of the way early … I’m ready to go.
“I’m trying not to get too down, it’s the first practice for the first race.”