A D.C.-area native is breaking barriers in the sport of racing: In March, Jordan Wallace became the first African American to compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
“It never really registered that I would be the first African American to compete in the series or anything like that,” Wallace told WTOP.
The Upper Marlboro, Maryland, native said while the D.C. region had a great car scene, it was hard getting into racing because there wasn’t a racing scene in the region. He had to travel hours to get to the tracks.
“The closest one, which was Summit Point, West Virginia, that’s where I first started carting and doing everything I could to get into racing,” he said.
Wallace’s father served as a Prince George’s County Police officer and his mother was a teacher. He said while not always “understanding” of his passion for racing, they were very supportive.
“They’ve always been incredible in that sense, and they’ve always pushed me to be elite and the best at anything I’m going to do,” he said.
Getting to this point hasn’t been easy. Among the hurdles was financing his racing career, which at times he said was paid for through other jobs he held.
He said being the only Black driver on the track also came with its challenges.
“(Formula 1 driver) Lewis Hamilton described the same; you’re in the pits and people look over and see you come in, and everyone just kind of stops and stares,” he said. “‘What are you doing here? Who is this?'”
For Wallace, another difficult time was the coping with the killings of his former boss Savvas Savopoulos, his wife, Amy; their 10-year-old son, Philip; and their housekeeper, Vera Figueroa, in 2015.
During the murder trial for the man who killed them, Daron Wint, a defense attorney for Wint attempted to convince the jury that Wallace was involved in the crime. Prosecutors said the mastermind was solely Wint and he was later convicted of the murders.
“That was really tough,” Wallace said. “I was blessed enough to have the love and support of my family and friends in the area.”
The negative attention from the trial, he said, forced him to move out of the area to escape.
“I had to move away just to find work for a while, I kept my head down. I worked as a mechanic, and like a janitor and things like that for a little while just to have work,” Wallace said.
He said over time, as people actually got to know him, any misunderstandings and perceptions of him changed.
He said the Savopoulos family is always on his mind, and he was thankful to have had them in his life.
“I do everything in my life and in my career out of the respect and love for them and, to be honest, there’s not a day I don’t think about it,” Wallace said.
Looking at his career in racing, Wallace said he’s thankful for where his career has taken him.
“I’m definitely honored and blessed to be where I’m at,” Wallace said.
While behind the wheel of the Vision Motorsports #23 Porsche Carrera, his hope is to take the podium on the weekend of May 4, when he races ahead of the F1 qualifying race and main race during the Miami Grand Prix.
When asked about his future, Wallace said he sees himself pursuing some of the biggest races in the world.
“The Daytona 24 hours, the Le Mans 24 hours, Sebring 12 hours, and going after being the first African American to win those. … I want to grow Vision Motorsports as a minority-owned motor sports team that is elite and professional. And I want to provide access and opportunity for more people like myself to get into the sport and have real, elite opportunities,” he said.
Wallace will hold a meet and greet with fans at a “Cars & Coffee” event Sunday morning from 8-10 a.m. at Porsche Chantilly on Stonecroft Boulevard in Virginia.
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