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Wallace was originally set to begin the opening
race of the 2021 NASCAR season from the sixth starting spot but
his No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota failed inspection two times before
finally passing on its third attempt.
NASCAR ejected the team's car chief as a result of the multiple
failures.
The setback followed an impressive build-up to the Daytona 500
for Wallace, who posted one of the fastest laps during the
qualifying session and nearly captured the pole position.
Wallace's car was one of 10 that were moved to the rear of the
field for a variety of reasons.
Last September, Wallace was named as the driver for a new
single-car team owned by basketball great Jordan and three-time
Daytona 500 winner Hamlin.
The only Black driver at NASCAR's top level, Wallace was thrust
into the spotlight last year when his calls for NASCAR to ban
the Confederate flag -- which many Americans see as a symbol of
oppression -- at all events was ultimately adopted.
The driver was also later thought to have been a victim of a
racial attack when a noose, a symbol connected to lynching and
America's slave history, was found in his garage.
An investigation later determined that the rope was actually a
garage door pull rope fashioned like a noose that had been in
the garage for months.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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