NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace will become the first African American since 1971 to drive in the Daytona 500 on Sunday, and leading up to the race, an eight-part docu-series on Facebook Watch featuring him will debut.
Behind the Wall: Bubba Wallace, produced by NASCAR Productions, premieres Thursday on the Facebook show page, enabling fans to follow his journey to the NASCAR Cup Series as a full-time driver for Richard Petty Motorsports. Wallace will also be interacting with fans live on Facebook as the series unfolds.
Two episodes will air per day from Thursday through Saturday in advance of the Daytona 500, and the series’ final two episodes will be available next week.
“Bubba Wallace is a burgeoning superstar in NASCAR, and his story is one that brings inspiration to so many people,” Evan Parker, NASCAR managing director, content strategy, said in a statement. “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.”
The series follows Wallace leading up to this season, including encounters with team owner Petty, the Charlotte Hornets’ Malik Monk and close friend and fellow NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney.
“It’s been wild to have this entire journey documented leading into the DAYTONA 500,” Wallace said in a statement. “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.”