Valce Les has signed a multi-year deal to drive for the yet-to-be-named, single-car team.
The announcement also means Jordan has become the first black majority owner of a full-time race team in NASCAR’s Premier Series in 60 years. The last black man owned by the team was Wendell Scott, who drove his car from the 1960s to the early 1970s.
“I’ve been a NASCAR fan all my life,” said Jordan.
NASCAR historians have historically struggled with diversity and there are very few black owners, Jordan said.
“Time seemed perfect because NASCAR is increasingly socially evolving and evolving and embracing it,” he said.
WAS Les, the only full-time African American driver in the NASCAR Cup series, announced earlier this month that he was leaving Richard Patty Motorsports after the 2020 season. Wallace has been with the team for the past three seasons.
“This is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I believe is right for me at this stage of my career,” Wallace said Monday. “Both Michael and Danny are great competitors and are focused on building the best team they can to go out and compete to win the race.”
Hamley said in a statement that “it now makes sense to lay the foundation” for his racing career after he retired from the race.
“Michael and Bubba can be a powerful voice together, not only in our game, but beyond that.”
CNN’s Homer de la Fuente contributed to this report.
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