Darrell Wallace Jr.'s Daytona 500 journey chronicled in docu-series

Wallace’s first attempt at the Daytona 500 will be chronicled in a new docu-series called, “Behind the Wall: Bubba Wallace,” which will be shown this week and next on Facebook Watch.

The first episode will post on Thursday. A trailer can be seen on this Facebook page.

Wallace, 24, will become the first African-American driver to make a start in the Daytona 500 since 1969 and the first to compete in a Cup series race since Bill Lester made a pair of starts in the 2006 season.

The eight-part series was produced by NASCAR Productions and will chronicle Wallace’s road to Daytona – from his earliest racing days to his debut in the Cup Series as the new full-time driver of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Petty Motorsports.

“It’s been wild to have this entire journey documented leading into the Daytona 500,” said Wallace. “It’s cool to finally see it all come together. I’ve watched a few episodes and it’s awesome.

“It really shows how much preparation is going into my first year racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with Richard Petty Motorsports and the famed ’43.’ This is something a little out of the box that’s great for fans.”

The series follows Wallace in the months and weeks leading up to the 2018 season, including encounters with team owner and NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Richard Petty, Charlotte Hornets rookie Malik Monk and close friend and fellow NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney. 

Two episodes will air per day from Thursday through Saturday in the lead-up to the 60th running of the 500, while the series’ final two episodes will be available next week. Wallace will interact with his fans live on Facebook as the series unfolds.

“Bubba Wallace is a burgeoning superstar in NASCAR, and his story is one that brings inspiration to so many people,” said Evan Parker, NASCAR managing director, content strategy. “With Facebook Watch, we’re thrilled to present Bubba’s journey to the Daytona 500 and the highest echelon of our sport in a completely new and innovative way.”

Facebook Watch is a video platform created to bring episodic content, community and conversation together on Facebook and is home to a wide variety of sports shows.