Breaking Boundaries with Jordan Wallace
Growing up in Upper Marlboro, Maryland; Jordan has always dreamt of becoming a racer since a very young age. With that dream comes a journey full of twists and turns, as we catch up with Wallace before his debut in the NASCAR Euro Series at Brands Hatch this upcoming weekend.
The dream that Wallace has always wanted in motor racing is a 15-year dream in the making. After high school, Jordan began drifting before a suggestion from a friend led him to rental karts. Something just clicked within him, Wallace said that the time when he was racing in rental karts became the catalyst for him to fully pursue a career in racing. For Jordan, it was about getting as much seat time as possible. Learning to understand the kart, knowing all the ins and outs about the beauty of racing. His works began to translate onto the racing track and not surprisingly, he performed solidly in his rookie year with a third place in the championship before winning the championship the very next year. Soon, that led Wallace to start competing in his own shifter karts, further progressing to the Karts to Cars Scholarship Shootout, with later opportunities racing in Skip Barber and the Mazda MX-5 Cup. However, Wallace’s success in karting didn’t make the transition to car racing.
While he waited for the right opportunity to come, Wallace still sticks with motorsport, working as a mechanic and driving instructor for seven years. Before a lucky break that led the American to the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America. After some solid performance, including two wins and four podium finishes. Wallace made his way to Europe to compete in GT4, competing in the DTM Trophy as well as partnering with Oskar Kristensen (the nephew of 9-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen) in the SRO GT4 Europe in 2023 with Allied Racing.
Wallace continues to make history by becoming the first African American driver to compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America last season, competing for the famed Kellymoss squad. He scored three times overall last season and finished fifth in the Pro-Am standing (with two class podiums and two class pole positions.)
However, for 2025, Wallace makes a monumental switch from GT racing to stock car racing. Opting to compete in the NASCAR Euro Series. Jordan explained that GT racing is like a piranha pond, with the cost associating to enter getting larger by the year. So it is only logical that Wallace began focusing on a style of racing that suits his personality. Wallace further explained that even though it is not the same as NASCAR racing back in stateside, he believes that the core of stock car racing with all the rubbing and wheel to wheel banging is still there in Europe. Noting that Europeans are as passionate about all types of racing, and can bring NASCAR to more corners of the world.
While Wallace stated that his main focus this year is to learn and grow as a racing driver, it is also his desire to participate in series and places with the highest level of competition. Using Euro NASCAR as a stepping stone towards a bigger championship in the future, but also a springboard for him to maybe one day race in the top three NASCAR National Series (Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Truck Series.)
Jordan Wallace showed us that dreams aren’t always impossible, because that moment can always come. It is about pushing forward, to always have that belief in yourself and also having the people by your side along the way. In a world where diversity is still largely underrepresented in motor racing, Wallace’s story is one of many in the making, and one that will inspire many in the future looking at a career in motorsport.
