'Nothing set in stone yet' for Wallace in 2018

Darrell Wallace Jr. does not have anything to announce for 2018 which left him chuckling at the swarm of media he faced Friday morning at Chicagoland Speedway.

During one response Wallace stopped and said, "Damn, there's a lot of people here."

Visiting the media center as part of the Nickelodeon program that will see him drive a car sponsored by the company in the Xfinity Series this weekend, the questions centered around next year. Wallace is rumored to be the next driver of the Richard Petty Motorsports' No. 43 Ford, but he says nothing is finalized.

"Things with the 43, that's still shaking out. That's in RPM's hands right now," Wallace said. "Obviously, with the news that came out the other day it's been kind of a head case, and they're pushing hard to fight through some different things. I'm supporting them, but nothing set in stone yet. We're still trying to figure out what we need to do."

The problem for RPM is the organization also lost its primary sponsor. Smithfield Foods announced it would leave the company after five seasons and head to Stewart-Haas Racing. Wallace has also lacked partnership throughout his career, which was one of the reasons behind Roush Fenway Racing ceasing operations of his Xfinity Series ride.

"I haven't had a sponsor in 15 years of racing, so I've been doing that since day one. No matter who the team is," Wallace said of trying to find financial support. "[RPM's] working hard on their end and I'm working hard on my end trying to get somebody to latch on."

Admitting a little surprise at having never landed a partner who has stuck with him, Wallace also said he doesn't understand some of the judgments sponsors make. "But it's not my call."

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Wallace and Petty have been tied together since Wallace made his first career starts in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with them over the summer when Almirola suffered a back injury. It was an opportunity Wallace continues to express gratitude for and noted how much exposure it has resulted in. Wallace also takes confidence in RPM saying they'd like to have him in their car.

"What we did a couple of months ago was pretty special," Wallace noted, "and showcased what we can do as a pair if we can get things worked out: To bring them really good finishes, represent their brands the way they need to be and get them rolling off in the right [direction]."

Not being full-time, however, has weighed on Wallace. Since Almirola returned from his injury and with Wallace's Xfinity ride gone, the 23-year-old has competed in just one NASCAR national series race. It was another opportunity that helped Wallace's case as he won the Camping World Truck Series race at Michigan last month. Wallace will try to do the same as he returns to action in the Xfinity Series this weekend.

And after that, he'll continue to try to remain positive about what's the come.

"Definitely makes you sit back and realize what all you went through. It's a humbling experience, for sure. It sucks," Wallace said of not having a full-time ride. "You definitely want to be driving each and every weekend – each and every day if you could – because that's what you grew up doing.

"But these little minor setbacks are cause for a great comeback, and I feel like something good is going to come out of this. At least that's what my mom tells me every time I get frustrated; she's always telling me to stay positive, keep your head up and God's got a plan. So, trust in that and see how we're going to shake out."