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Roush Fenway Racing Makes Right Move With Darrell Wallace

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Wallace Jr. XFINITY Series

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After asking for and being granted his release earlier in December from Joe Gibbs Racing, Darrell “Bubba“ Wallace Jr. landed on his feet in a big way on Thursday as Roush Fenway Racing announced he would join their XFINITY Series team full-time next season. The move should be equally beneficial for both organization and driver.

Wallace will take over the No. 6 car vacated by Trevor Bayne as Bayne will drive a Sprint Cup Series car full-time for Roush this season. Elliott Sadler, Chris Buescher and Ryan Reed also drive XFINITY cars for Roush.

First and maybe mostly importantly, Roush is getting a very talented driver who won four races in the Camping World Truck Series last season. At just 21 years old, Wallace’s best days are most certainly in front of him. A loss of sponsorship at Gibbs prompted Wallace’s departure and in this case, one team’s loss truly is another’s gain.

For Wallace, he will be joining the most prolific XFINITY Series team in history. Roush drivers have combined for 133 wins and the organization has won four championships over the past 12 years. Wallace told the press that he’s looking forward to adding to that tradition and to “tear down the barriers for the next generation of NASCAR drivers.”

Those barriers also add to the appeal of the signing. Wallace became the first African-American driver in 50 years to win a major NASCAR event when he picked up his first career victory with a win at Martinsville in 2013. More than almost any other driver in the Truck or XFINITY series, Wallace gets national attention and headlines.

Let’s face it, that kind of positive publicity can only be good for a Roush Fenway Racing organization that has seen the performance of its Sprint Cup team diminish over the past couple of seasons. This year, Roush’s Sprint Cup team combined for two wins, both of which came from Carl Edwards, who is coincidentally leaving the organization to drive a car for Joe Gibbs. Roush’s lineup of Bayne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Greg Biffle doesn’t exactly widen many eyes heading into the 2015 season.

But as of Thursday, Roush has brought a driver into the fold who will undoubtedly create a buzz as the XFINITY Series season starts. With the combination of youth and potential that Wallace has shown, there’s little doubt that success will follow in not only this series, but eventually at the Sprint Cup level as well.

Ryan Pritt is a NASCAR writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @RPritt, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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