“There were a lot of sleepless nights”: When Bubba Wallace shared his fear of an uncertain future ahead of Cup debut with Richard Petty’s team 

In 2017, Bubba Wallace was about to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut with Richard Petty Motorsports in the iconic No. 43 Ford at Pocono. The then 23-year-old experienced anxiety as he awaited word on his racing future. Wallace had just lost his ride in the NASCAR Xfinity Series when sponsorship for Roush Fenway Racing's No. 6 team fell through.

Before the practice session at Pocono Raceway, Wallace described the stress before his debut weekend, where he was filling in for Aric Almirola after he broke his vertebrae.

"There were a lot of sleepless nights. You can ask my girlfriend. I was pretty stressed out for a couple days leading up to this. When you’re a young guy, I call me a young guy, I feel old sometimes but it’s pretty stressful now that I understand the business and life itself," Bubba Wallace said (via Autoweek).

"It's pretty devastating not knowing what’s next. I’m like, ‘Hell, I didn’t go to college, so I don’t know what I’m going to do.’ The biggest thing for me was just trying to keep that in check and keep those emotions in check," he added.

In July 2017, Wallace became the first African‑American to compete in the Cup Series since Bill Lester in 2006. The Drive for Diversity alum was also the second African‑American to win a NASCAR national (Truck) series race in 2013. Starting from 16th place, he finished 26th after his car encountered engine trouble before the full 400 miles.

Wallace made three more starts that year and scored a best finish of 11th at Kansas Speedway.

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"I didn’t know what the Cup Series was about" – Bubba Wallace before joining RPM full-time

By October of 2017, Bubba Wallace was ready to join Richard Petty Motorsports full-time for the following season. The team had announced Wallace's return to the No. 43 car after Aric Almirola announced his departure.

"This is a dream come true to race for ‘The King,' Richard Petty Motorsports, the iconic No. 43," Bubba Wallace said (via Autoweek).

Wallace joined as the tenth full‑time driver of the iconic No. 43 since Richard Petty retired in November 1992.

"I didn’t know what the Cup Series was about. I knew it was taking the next step. I didn’t know how big that step was," Wallace said (via NASCAR.com).

Wallace began his rookie Cup Series season with a runner-up finish in the Daytona 500 and added two other top-10 finishes at the spring Texas race and the fall Phoenix race. He earned second place in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings behind William Byron.

Wallace closed the season 28th in points with an average finish of 24.50.