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May 13, 2018

Darrell Wallace Jr. to his mom: ‘You mean the world to me’


Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. has several important women in his life, from his sister Brittany to his longtime girlfriend Amanda Carter.

His mother, Desiree Wallace, is one of those special women.

“(She can) hug you and make you cry if you finish second in the Daytona 500,” Wallace said with a smile during a break at Dover when asked what only his mother can do for him.

WATCH: Bubba Wallace breaks down over journey to Daytona

“My mom’s done so much for me and my sister and my family to get us where we’re at today. She’s the backbone, she’s the support system. We’re very thankful for her and everything she’s done for us.”

Fans saw the raw emotion from the mother-son duo following Wallace’s historic runner-up finish in “The Great American Race.” The pair embraced and cried, as the scene was streamed live during Wallace’s post-race press conference.

“We’ve waited so long, baby. So long,” Desiree said, nestled in the embrace of her tearful son.

The moment was the beginning of one of the most important NASCAR seasons in Wallace’s budding racing career. As the first full-time African American driver in the Monster Energy Series since 1971, the pressure put on his young shoulders was well-recorded through media and his Facebook docu-series “Behind the Wall.”

Off the track, Wallace also touched on his family’s hardships during his touching Daytona press conference.

The support from his mom this year, who has become a more regular presence at the track, has been especially significant, which Wallace reflected on with NASCAR.com in advance of Mother’s Day.

MORE: Happy Mother’s Day! Check out these rockstar NASCAR Moms

“It’s meant a lot,” Wallace said. “She’s come to a lot of races, more so in the last couple years, so it’s good to have her here … She’s starting to figure out how busy this Cup schedule is and how big the scene is. It’s fun to take her through the steps as well.”

But the added track time for Desiree Wallace means also added extra advice, Wallace teased.

“Everybody loves seeing her at the race track; which I don’t know why, she’s just always in my face and trying to tell me how to drive, just like a gnat,” Wallace said jokingly. “Kidding, kidding – it’s good to have her here …”

“She just takes time out of the day to satisfy the needs of her kids … She’s an excellent mom, she always has been. We’ve had our run-ins just like any mother and son have, but at the end of the day, I love my mom to death.”

For Mother’s Day, Wallace hoped to get his mom a trip to Victory Lane in the series’ Saturday night race at Kansas Speedway.

But despite the race’s outcome, he has one important message for her:

“Mom, I love you to death. Thank you for everything you’ve done in my, it will be, 25 years of living. You mean the world to me. For all we’ve been through for the last two or three years, you still get up, put that smile on your face and act like everything’s OK. So, I try to take that after you each and every day when things don’t go right and just know that God has another day for us.

“I love you very much and Happy Mother’s Day.”

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