When Bubba Wallace got behind the wheel of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet on Sunday, he did so looking for another top-10 finish at Michigan. However, his driving became less of a story after he spoke to NBC Sports’ Marty Snider. The 26-year-old revealed the identity of a team that offered him a contract for 2021.
According to Snider, Wallace confirmed that Chip Ganassi Racing has offered him a deal in order to bring him to the team. The Sports Business Journal had previously reported that CGR was a potential suitor, but Wallace confirmed the news during his pre-race interview. He also pointed out the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro as the destination, which would partner him with Kurt Busch on the roster. However, this was not the only intriguing detail that Wallace provided on Sunday.
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One of the talking points in recent weeks is that RPM offered Wallace ownership stake in the racing team as an incentive to return to the No. 43. As it turns out, he already has some ownership. Wallace told Snider that he has had ownership in RPM since 2017, but he just never talks about it. When asked if this plays a role in him potentially returning to RPM, Wallace said that he is not “locked and loaded”
Matt Kenseth returned to the Cup Series when NASCAR returned from a 10-week postponement in order to replace Kyle Larson in the No. 42, who lost his job after using a racial slur during a Livestream. The veteran has not competed full-time since 2017 and has not entered discussions with CGR about the future. Now, this spot could go to a fellow driver based on Wallace’s upcoming decision.
While Wallace does have multiple confirmed options for the 2021 season, he has not yet made a decision about his future. He spoke to Dustin Albino of Frontstretch and provided further details about his potential options. Specifically, Wallace reiterated that he has not made a concrete decision just yet and that he has a lot of things to figure out.
“No, everything is still up in the air,” Wallace said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to figure out what’s best for yourself and move forward with that option. There’s still a lot of things to be ironed out and hopefully, soon we’ll have a decision to make.”
Part of this process is finding a team where he can “be part of a family” instead of simply showing up at the shop. He said that this is important and called RPM a great family. However, the other part of “the puzzle” is finding competitive race cars. RPM has struggled to find success at times while CGR drivers have been in contention more often. Driving more competitive cars could push Wallace toward a different team.
