Wallace out to prove 'I belong' in the Cup series

Darrell Wallace Jr. isn't going to worry that he wasn't the first driver to get the call from Richard Petty Motorsports when the organization needed a substitute driver.

"Obviously when stuff like that happens, you're seat hunting at times, you try to make phone calls, try to do all the right things," Wallace said during a teleconference with the media Tuesday morning.

"The opportunity will present itself when it's the right time. Pocono is the right time. I've always said that God has had my plans in His hands. I guess a new door has opened for this weekend, and we'll go out there and make the most of it."

Related Stories

Beginning Sunday at Pocono Raceway, Wallace will be the interim driver of the No. 43 Ford in place of Almirola, who is expected to miss 8-12 weeks as he recovers from a compression fracture of his T5 vertebra suffered in a crash at Kansas Speedway. For Wallace, it will be his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start and the beginning of a stretch of races where he can prove he deserves a ride after Almirola returns.

"There's no need for me to go out there and try to set the world on fire, try to win races and put myself in a tough spot, not be able to capitalize on it," Wallace said. "If the opportunity presents itself, yeah, we'll jump on it. There's no need for me to force a hole, end up tearing up a racecar. I'm getting this opportunity because people believe in me and have seen my talents coming up [the ranks]. I have to go out there, just back that up, show them I can manage and perform, and I belong in the series."

Since the news was announced Monday evening, Wallace has already been working to get acclimated with the team. Crew chief Drew Blickensderfer is not unfamiliar to Wallace as he worked with Roush Fenway Racing – for whom Wallace drives in the Xfinity Series – last year.

Wallace said Blickensderfer has an understanding of what he'll be looking to feel. The Ford Technical Center also has a simulator that Wallace has already used. And going in his favor at Pocono is the fact he'll be running in both series, giving him added seat time.

"I was in the [Petty] shop yesterday, sat in the seat, sat in the car, got comfortable, met some of the guys that I'll be racing together with the next couple of weeks," Wallace said. "This is a fast-paced sport. You got to get acclimated really quick, get used to everything. I think the biggest thing is focusing on Pocono, making sure we can get, or I can get, all that I can out of the car, making the most of the weekend."

Even as Wallace tries to focus on taking it one race at a time, the unfortunate part of taking this next step is the shutdown of the No. 6 Xfinity program. Roush Fenway has announced it will suspend operations of the team, which has been battling sponsorship woes.

What happens to Wallace when his services are no longer needed by Petty?

"Honestly, I can't really touch on that because simple as that, I don't know what's going to happen," Wallace said. "One thing I can touch on is I know I'll go out there and prove to everybody inside the racetrack, outside the racetrack, on the TV, that I belong in the Cup Series. Do the best that I can.

"Give an extra 200 percent each and every time I climb in the car for Ford, for Richard Petty, for everybody on the team, for (sponsor) Smithfield, to go out there and make the opportunity [the] greatest it has been."