Bubba Wallace leaving Richard Petty Motorsports at season’s end

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bubba Wallace, loaded with many new sponsors he individually signed, will leave Richard Petty Motorsports at the conclude of the season and consider his new wealth somewhere else.

Wallace, who has pushed Petty’s legendary No. forty three the past three seasons, explained to the staff Thursday he would not signal a agreement extension.

“This was not an quick selection as I have absolutely nothing but the utmost regard for Richard Petty and his loved ones,” Wallace mentioned in a statement, “but I think it is really time for someone else to consider over the No. forty three.

“Thank you to the King and anyone at Richard Petty Motorsports for offering me the chance to begin my Cup Collection vocation. I’ve developed so substantially as a driver and as a individual since joining them. We’ve got nine far more races together, and I hope we can finish the 2020 season on a higher observe.”

Wallace, who is 26, has a vocation-best five leading-10 finishes this season and is rated a vocation-best twenty third in the Cup Collection standings. Wallace did not make the playoffs in any of his three Cup seasons and is winless at NASCAR’s leading degree.

Wallace in 2013 turned the 2nd Black driver to win a national collection NASCAR race when he gained the Truck Collection celebration at Martinsville Speedway. He is the only whole-time Black driver at NASCAR’s national degree.

Wallace this season has taken an energetic purpose in pushing for racial inclusion and equality, pushing NASCAR to ban the Accomplice flag at its races earlier this yr. He parlayed that into many sponsorship offers that have been negotiated in a way that Wallace could consider them with him if he left RPM.

Among his new companions are Door Sprint, Columbia Sportswear Co., Money App, and a individual deal with Beats by Dre. He’s also got an affiliation with McDonald’s, one particular of the sponsors at Chip Ganassi Racing.

It is not very clear wherever Wallace is headed because many significant teams with seats offered explained to The Affiliated Push they were being not in play for the driver. Wallace’s agent did not return a ask for for remark from AP.

RPM, in the meantime, mentioned it would finish the season with Wallace and announce its designs at a later date. The staff has experienced issue landing sponsorship — one particular of the factors the No. forty three has struggled to be competitive — and there has been speculation the staff would be absorbed by a new proprietor.

The staff mentioned in a statement, “We seem forward to the up coming chapter in the generating for the legendary No. forty three staff. We will announce our new driver in the potential.”

Additional AP NASCAR