Hubbry Logo
Bubba WallaceBubba WallaceMain
Open search
Bubba Wallace
Community hub
Bubba Wallace
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Contribute something
Bubba Wallace
Bubba Wallace
Bubba Wallace
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

William Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr.[1] (born October 8, 1993) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing.

Key Information

Wallace was previously a development driver in Toyota's driver development program where he drove part-time for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series and full-time for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series. He then moved over to Ford and their driver development program and competed full-time for Roush Fenway Racing in the Xfinity Series. After competing in select Cup Series races for Richard Petty Motorsports in their famous No. 43 as an injury replacement for Aric Almirola, Wallace became a full-time driver for RPM in the same car when Almirola left the team, which was his first full-time ride in the Cup Series.

Wallace has been the only full-time Black American driver in NASCAR's three national series (Cup, Xfinity, and Truck) each year he has competed in them.

Racing career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

Wallace started racing in the Bandolero and Legends car racing series, as well as local late model events, at the age of nine.[2] In 2005, he won 35 of the Bandolero Series' 48 races held that year;[2] in 2008 he became the youngest driver to win at Franklin County Speedway in Virginia.[3]

NASCAR K&N Pro Series/Drive for Diversity

[edit]
Wallace with a member of the U.S. Army, the sponsor of his East Series car in 2011, at Richmond that year.
Wallace (No. 18) starting from the pole at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in 2012. Starting alongside him is the car he drove the prior year, the Rev Racing No. 6, now driven by Kyle Larson.

In 2010, Wallace began competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, a regional and developmental series. Wallace drove for Rev Racing as part of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program,[4][5] and was signed as a development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing.[6] He won his very first race in the series, at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, becoming the youngest driver ever to win at the track,[4] he was also the youngest driver to win in the series history, which began as the Busch North Series in 1987.[7] He also won later in the year at Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire,[8] on his way to finishing third in series points and winning the series' Rookie of the Year award.[6] He was the first African American to win the Rookie of the Year award in a NASCAR series.[9] Wallace's 2011 season would see him winning three times, at Richmond International Raceway, Columbus Motor Speedway, and Dover International Speedway, and he finished second in points to Max Gresham.[4]

Wallace moved to race directly for Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2012 season.[2] Racing the entire K&N East Series season along with four to six selected races in the Nationwide Series,[10] Wallace won the second East event of the year at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, his first win with JGR.[11]

In 2018, Wallace returned to K&N East at Watkins Glen driving the No. 27 Chevrolet for Jefferson Pitts Racing to provide him with extra road course seat time before the Cup Series race later that weekend.[12]

Xfinity Series

[edit]

2012

[edit]

Wallace made his national series debut in the Xfinity Series in late May, driving the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota for JGR at Iowa Speedway;[13] he ran in the top ten for most of the event, finishing ninth.[14] After posting further top ten finishes in his next two starts in the series, Wallace won his first career Nationwide Series pole at Dover International Speedway in late September.[15]

2014

[edit]

In 2014, he returned to the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 20, starting in May at Talladega Superspeedway where he would finish 34th after being involved in The Big One while running thirteenth.[16] He ran only one more Nationwide race that year, at Daytona in July with Coca-Cola's "Share a Coke" campaign sponsoring where he would finish a strong seventh.

2015

[edit]
Wallace (right) with the Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2015
Wallace's No. 6 at Road America in 2015

Following the 2014 season, it was expected that Wallace would move up to the Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing in a full-time ride, with the owner Joe Gibbs claiming they would have "a big program" for the young driver.[17] After the team struggled to find sponsorship for more than fifteen races, on December 8, 2014, Wallace announced he had been granted his request to leave JGR and seek other opportunities.[18] Later, it was reported he had signed a deal to compete in the Xfinity Series for Roush Fenway Racing for 2015 with Chad Norris as his crew chief. On December 18, 2014, RFR officially announced that they had signed Wallace to compete full-time in the No. 6 Ford Mustang in 2015, with sponsors and crew members to be announced at a later date. On January 28, 2015, at NASCAR Media Day, it was announced that Wallace would drive the No. 6 Ford EcoBoost Mustang.[19] Wallace started the season with a twelfth place finish at Daytona and earned fourteen top-tens to finish seventh in the final point standings. He was beaten by Daniel Suárez for Rookie of the Year by a single top-ten finish.

2016

[edit]
Wallace's No. 6 at Road America in 2016

Wallace finished sixth in the season opener at Daytona.[20] He got his first top-three of the season at California Speedway, in which he claimed third after a dramatic final lap saw long time leader Kyle Busch blow a tire giving the lead to Daniel Suarez temporarily as he would then run out of fuel just after passing Busch which then gave Busch back the lead, who was ultimately overtaken by Austin Dillon who would go onto win and Wallace would overtake Suarez, matching his career best finish, at the time, of third.[21] Wallace then earned his best career finish at Dover International Speedway finishing second to the dominant Erik Jones but at the end of the season dropped to eleventh overall in the points.[21] Wallace did make the inaugural Xfinity Series chase and made it to the round of 8 before being eliminated after the penultimate race at Phoenix.

2017

[edit]
Wallace's No. 6 at Pocono in 2017; it was the last race for the car before it had to be closed down due to lack of sponsorship.

After finishing 33rd in the season-opening race at Daytona, Wallace finished in sixth place five consecutive times.[22] However, at Bristol, Wallace struggled. After starting from last, Wallace was trapped a lap down throughout the race, eventually getting caught up in a late crash. Wallace would finish the race in 33rd. At Charlotte, Wallace would run upfront for a majority of the race, even leading for three laps, but a late-race pit stop relegated him behind the top ten. Wallace got loose and hit the wall with a few laps to go costing him a top ten and finishing 28th. However, despite being fourth in the Drivers' Championship standings, Roush Fenway announced that they would be suspending operations of Wallace's Xfinity Series team following the Pocono race weekend due to sponsorship issues.[23]

Wallace signed with Biagi-DenBeste Racing to drive the No. 98 Ford at Chicagoland Speedway where he would score a tenth place finish.[24]

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

[edit]

2013

[edit]
Wallace on pit road at Rockingham in 2013

In February 2013, it was announced that Wallace would run a full season in the Camping World Truck Series in the No. 54 Toyota owned by Kyle Busch Motorsports.[25] At Rockingham Speedway in April Wallace, following accidental contact with Ron Hornaday Jr., was turned by Hornaday under a caution flag, his truck hitting the outside wall. Hornaday was penalized for the contact by being sent to the rear of the field; after the race, Hornaday was penalized 25 championship points and assessed a $25,000 fine, in addition to being placed on probation for the remainder of the season.[26] The situation was compared to an incident at the 2011 WinStar World Casino 350K where Kyle Busch deliberately wrecked Hornaday at Texas Motor Speedway.[27]

On October 26, 2013, Wallace became the first African-American driver to win in one of NASCAR's national series since 1963, winning the Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway.[28][29] The only previous win by an African-American driver was by Wendell Scott in the Grand National Division on December 1, 1963.[28] Wallace finished eighth in points in his rookie season.[18]

2014

[edit]

In 2014, Wallace returned to the Camping World Truck Series full-time in the No. 54. In June, Wallace won the Drivin' for Linemen 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park. Three weeks later, he battled Kyle Larson and Ron Hornaday Jr. for the win at Eldora Speedway. Wallace held off a hard charging Larson, who wrecked his car trying to catch him, and beat Hornaday by a 5.489-second margin to win the second annual Mudsummer Classic.[30] Wallace switched to the No. 34 for the Kroger 200 at Martinsville in tribute to Wendell Scott,[31] and led the most laps en route to his second straight victory in the race. Wallace won his final race with KBM, the season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway, beating Larson again to earn his first non-short track victory.[32] Wallace's four wins along with nine top fives and fourteen top-tens led to a third-place finish in points.[18]

2017

[edit]

Wallace returned to the Camping World Truck Series at Michigan in August, driving the No. 99 Truck for MDM Motorsports, and ended up winning the race, holding off Christopher Bell and Kyle Busch who rounded out the top three.[33] However, Wallace's truck was discovered to have had illegal vent holes, resulting in an L1-level penalty that suspended crew chief Shane Huffman for one race and penalized the No. 99 team ten points.[34]

2018

[edit]

In May, Wallace once again returned to the Truck Series, driving the No. 20 for Young's Motorsports at Kansas.[35] He finished fourteenth after running out of fuel from fifth with four laps to go.[36]

2019

[edit]
Wallace substituting for Austin Wayne Self in the AM Racing No. 22 at Martinsville in March 2019

In March, Wallace returned to the Truck Series for the TruNorth Global 250 at Martinsville and Vankor 350 at Texas, driving the No. 22 for AM Racing. He filled in for the team's driver/owner, Austin Wayne Self, following his suspension. Wallace would finish tenth and twentieth, respectively, in these two races.[37] Self would then be reinstated before the next race (at Dover) and he returned to his truck.

2021

[edit]

In March 2021, Wallace joined Spencer Davis Motorsports to drive their No. 11 in the Pinty's Dirt Truck Race on Bristol Motor Speedway's dirt layout. For this race, the truck was fielded in a partnership with Hattori Racing Enterprises. He finished eleventh in the race.[38]

NASCAR Cup Series

[edit]

2017

[edit]
Wallace driving through the garage at his Cup Series debut race of Pocono in June 2017

On June 5, 2017, Richard Petty Motorsports announced plans to have Wallace drive the team's No. 43 Ford in place of injured Aric Almirola, making Wallace the first African-American to race in the Cup Series since Bill Lester in 2006.[39] In qualifying for his Cup debut at the Pocono 400, he was able to advance to the second round and start sixteenth.[40] During the race, Wallace suffered from speeding penalties on pit road, including one while he was serving an earlier pass-through penalty;[41] at one point, he nearly missed his pit stall because he looked for his Xfinity pit sign instead of the No. 43.[42] He went on to finish 26th and one lap down. After congratulating Ryan Blaney in Victory Lane, Wallace passed out and required medical attention. He later stated, "This is the third time this is happened. I get so pissed off at myself that I just pass out."[41]

Wallace earned a finish of eleventh at Kentucky after being involved in a last-lap wreck.

2018

[edit]
Wallace's No. 43 at Sonoma Raceway in 2018

After Aric Almirola announced his departure from Richard Petty Motorsports, team owner Richard Petty announced in an interview that he and the team were working on hiring Wallace as the new driver of the No. 43 in 2018.[43] Wallace was officially introduced to the team as their new driver on October 25, 2017.[44] He is the first African-American driver to have a full-time Cup ride since Wendell Scott in 1971.[45]

Prior to the season-opening Daytona 500, Wallace received support from National Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton.[45] He drove the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro to finish second behind Austin Dillon, the highest finish by a full-time rookie driver in race history, after beating Denny Hamlin to the start/finish line by .002 seconds.[46][45] Wallace, however, scored only two additional top-ten finishes at the spring Texas race and the fall Phoenix race. He finished 28th place in the final point standings.

In October 2018, Wallace was named in Ebony magazine's Power 100 list, joining the ranks of Stephen Curry, Antonio Brown, Venus Williams and former president and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama.[47]

2019

[edit]
Wallace's No. 43 during the race at Dover in October 2019

Despite continuing to have mediocre finishes in the 2019 season, Wallace displayed his full potential with RPM at the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race by winning the second stage of the Monster Energy Open and finishing fifth in the All-Star Race. His other highlight of the early-to-mid summer was at Watkins Glen, when he spun Kyle Busch off the track on lap 61.[48]

At the Brickyard 400, Wallace had one of the best runs of his career by finishing third after running in the top ten all day long.[49] He continued to show improvements to his finishes during the season, notably at Richmond, where he started 37th and finished twelfth.[50]

At the Charlotte Roval, Wallace finished 24th after Alex Bowman spun him out on lap 42 after Wallace gave Bowman the middle finger gesture on several laps. Wallace retaliated after the race by splashing water on Bowman's face.[51] NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O'Donnell said on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio that officials plan to have a conversation with Wallace about the altercation.[52] On October 5, 2019, Wallace apologized to Jeff Gordon, AMR NASCAR Safety medical director Dr. Angela Fiege, and Hendrick Motorsports executive Jeff Andrews for getting them splashed during the incident, but stated that he does not regret what he did to Bowman.[53]

On November 9, 2019, Wallace was fined $50,000 and docked fifty points for intentionally manipulating competition at Texas when he spun his car on the track after experiencing a tire failure.[54] He once again finished 28th in the final points standings.

2020

[edit]
Wallace after climbing out of his No. 43 car following his crash with Michael McDowell in the All-Star Open

For the 2020 season, Wallace was reunited with crew chief Jerry Baxter, who worked with him in the Truck Series.[55] In the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas, Wallace finished sixth for his best finish on a 1.5-mile track.[56] When the season was halted after four races due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was 18th in points.[57]

During the stoppage, he participated in the NASCAR-sanctioned eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, where he made headlines at the sim racing league's Bristol event for quitting early by choice after wrecking on the 11th lap. Wallace responded to fan criticism by mocking how easily they got offended over a video game. In response, his main sponsor, Blue-Emu, dropped its sponsorship of the virtual No. 43 car. Blue-Emu executive vice president Ben Blessing said that Wallace's outburst would have been unacceptable during a physical race. As Blessing saw it, Wallace's outburst was not the act of a NASCAR driver, but of "someone like my 13-year-old son who broke his controller playing some game where he builds houses."[58] Later in the Pro Invitational season, after initially posting a tweet seeking a spotter for the event at Talladega,[59] Wallace announced that he would "opt-out," stating that practicing for the iRacing events was too difficult: "I simply get burnt out after a day. Not the games fault, just been like that for years."[60]

Wallace scored a second top-ten in the Supermarket Heroes 500 at Bristol after starting 36th.[61] Further top-tens came in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis and FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan with ninth-place finishes in both.[62][63] In the regular season-ending Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, he recorded a fifth-place finish despite being involved in a late-race wreck.[64][65]

On September 10, 2020, Wallace announced he would leave RPM at the end of the 2020 season.[66] He finished 22nd in the points standings.[67]

2021: 23XI racing and first career win

[edit]
Wallace (No. 23) racing alongside Austin Dillon (No. 3) in Bluegreen Vacations Duel #2, which they would finish 1–2 in.

On September 21, 2020, Michael Jordan announced he and NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin had created a NASCAR team, named 23XI Racing with Wallace serving as the first driver in the No. 23.[68] Wallace was replaced by Ty Dillon in the 2021 Busch Clash as Wallace was not eligible to compete in the race.[69] After qualifying fourth for the Daytona 500, he finished second in his Bluegreen Vacations Duel to Austin Dillon.[70] He was classified seventeenth in the Daytona 500 after being involved in a fiery last-lap wreck.[71] Wallace scored a second-place finish at the August Daytona Race. He originally placed third, but due to a post-race car inspection failure on the No. 17 car of Chris Buescher, his result was increased to second, equaling his best ever Cup Series result at the 2018 Daytona 500.[72] On October 4, 2021, Wallace earned his first career Cup win at Talladega after the race was shortened due to rain. Wallace is the first African-American driver to win a Cup Series race since Wendell Scott in 1963.[73][74] Wallace also scored the first win for a McDonald's-sponsored car since Jimmy Spencer in 1994.[75]

2022: Second career win and race suspension

[edit]
Wallace's No. 23 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2022

Wallace continued with 23XI Racing alongside new teammate Kurt Busch.[76] He raced at the 2022 Daytona 500 with a full McDonald's sponsored paint scheme, finishing runner-up to Austin Cindric by 0.036 seconds. Wallace was in contention late in the race at Atlanta, but would finish thirteenth after being involved in a wreck on the last lap.[77] On March 29, 2022, crew chief Bootie Barker was suspended for four races due to a tire and wheel loss during the 2022 Texas Grand Prix at COTA. Dave Rogers was announced as Wallace's crew chief for Richmond, Martinsville, Bristol, and Talladega.[78] At Michigan, Wallace won his first career pole and finished second to Kevin Harvick.[79] Following the final regular season race at Daytona Wallace, in a must-win situation, failed to qualify for the Playoffs.[80] However, on August 31, 2022, it was announced that Bubba, along with crew chief Barker, would switch rides at 23XI for the remainder of the season, as they move over to the No. 45 car as it seeks the owner's championship.[81] On September 11, Wallace scored his second win at Kansas after leading the final 67 laps and holding off Hamlin.[82] At Las Vegas, Kyle Larson charged aggressively past Kevin Harvick and Wallace, causing Wallace to scrape the outside wall. Wallace retaliated with a right rear hook on Larson, wrecking both cars down the front stretch and severely damaging Christopher Bell's car in the process. During the caution, Wallace engaged in a shoving match with Larson.[83] Wallace was suspended for one race for the incident; John Hunter Nemechek was assigned to drive the No. 45 at Homestead.[84] He ended the campaign nineteenth in the drivers' standings.

2023: Making the playoffs

[edit]
Wallace's No. 23 car at Dover Motor Speedway in 2023

Wallace started the 2023 season with a twentieth place finish at the 2023 Daytona 500. He improved his finishes enough to make the playoffs for the first time in his career.[85] Although improving to tenth in the overall points, achieving five top-five finishes, and ten top-ten finishes, 2023 was the first winless season for Wallace since his first win at Talladega in 2021.[86] Wallace advanced to the Round of 12 following the Bristol night race after Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick were eliminated due to issues late in the race.[87] He was eliminated from the Round of 12 at the conclusion of the Charlotte Roval race.[88]

2024: Playoff Challenges, Winless Season, and Crew Changes

[edit]
Wallace’s No. 23 car at Richmond Raceway in 2024

Wallace had an impressive start to 2024, achieving two fifth-place finishes in the first two races of the season.[89][90] However, following a 35th place finish at Las Vegas,[91] Wallace struggled to regain competitiveness for the next five races until a fourth place finish at Martinsville[92] Since Martinsville, Wallace has finished three times in the top-ten at Texas, Darlington, and Nashville. At the Chicago Street Race on July 7, Wallace was involved in a spin after he got turned by Alex Bowman, who would later go on to win that very same race. After the race, Wallace intentionally collided with Bowman's car during the cool-down lap. Per NASCAR, Wallace, "driver of the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota, was fined $50,000 for violating Sections 4.4.B & D: NASCAR Member Code of Conduct, and finished the race in thirteenth and currently sits 17th in the playoff standings, 45 points underneath the elimination line for the 16-driver field."[93] Despite scoring decent finishes during the regular season, Wallace failed to make the playoffs after Chase Briscoe won at Darlington. Following the Martinsville playoff race, the No. 23 was docked fifty owner and driver points and Wallace and the team were each fined US$100,000 for race manipulation, when Wallace faked a tire failure and slowed down to allow fellow Toyota driver Christopher Bell to pass him in an attempt to make the Championship 4. In addition, Barker was suspended for the Phoenix finale.[94] Despite a promising early season, Wallace finished the 2024 NASCAR season in eighteenth place overall with no wins, and fourteenth top-ten finishes while accumulating 878 points. This represents Bubba's second best overall finish in the NASCAR Cup Series.[95] On October 30, 23XI Racing announced that Bootie Barker, the 23 team's crew chief since 2021, would move to another position within the organization and that Charles Denike, who comes from the Truck Series, would be Wallace’s crew chief in 2025.[96]

2025: Winless Streak Snapped

[edit]
Wallace's race-winning No. 23 car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2025.

Wallace began his 2025 season by winning Daytona Duel 1.[97] However, Wallace ended up with a 29th place DNF at Daytona. At Homestead, Wallace was in contention to win, but got passed by Alex Bowman late in the race. Staying consistent throughout the year, Wallace would earn his first win of the season at Indianapolis on July 27, after holding off Kyle Larson following a rain delay and double overtime finish.[98] This win, in the Brickyard 400, meant he was the first black driver to win any major race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.[99]

Noose investigation

[edit]

On June 21, 2020, a member of Wallace's team reported to NASCAR that a noose had been placed in Wallace's garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway, which NASCAR president Steve Phelps relayed to Wallace in the evening.[100] The organization condemned the act as "heinous" and said they would consult with law enforcement. Wallace stated that he was "incredibly saddened" by the "painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism," but also praised his fellow drivers who are "driving real change and championing a community that is accepting and welcoming of everyone."[101] Before the GEICO 500 race the next day, the drivers and crews pushed Wallace's car to the front of pit road in a show of solidarity, a gesture that drivers Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick proposed.[102]

A day after the race, an investigation by the FBI concluded that Wallace was not the victim of a hate crime: the alleged noose was a pull-down rope with a loop, in the style of a hangman's knot, that was located on an overhead door, and had been in the garage since the fall Talladega race in 2019.[103] The FBI's determination led to people criticizing Wallace on social media as fake and questioning his integrity.[104][105] Wallace stated in interviews that although he was relieved that he was not specifically targeted, he was frustrated by the backlash he received.[104][105] He nonetheless vowed not to let the incident or the subsequent "hoax" allegations "break" him.[105] He added that regardless of "whether [it was] tied in 2019" or "wasn't directed at me... somebody tied a noose."[106]

Wallace with U.S. President Donald Trump at the 2020 Daytona 500, who would later criticize Wallace in a tweet on July 6 of that year

On June 25, 2020, NASCAR released a photo of the noose taken by security. In a teleconference later that day, Phelps explained NASCAR had inspected every garage at the sanctioning body's 29 tracks, with 11 garages containing pull-down ropes tied in knots but only Wallace's being tied into a noose.[107] Although the individual responsible was not identified, Phelps announced that NASCAR would require sensitivity and unconscious bias training for its personnel and that "Bubba Wallace and the 43 team had nothing to do with this."[100]

Two weeks after the GEICO 500, on July 6, 2020, President Donald Trump tweeted that Wallace should apologize for the investigation, branding it a hoax while adding that it and NASCAR's Confederate flag ban "has caused lowest ratings EVER!" Trump's ratings claim was refuted by Fox Sports executive vice president Michael Mulvihill, who said the ratings had increased by eight percent since the 2020 season resumed in May, while Wallace received support from figures like Johnson, driver Tyler Reddick, and basketball player LeBron James.[108]

Activism

[edit]

Philanthropy

[edit]

Wallace founded and runs the Live to be Different Foundation.[109] He was also the National Motorsports Press Association's Pocono Spirit Award winner for the second quarter of 2020,[110] and the recipient of the Comcast Community Champion of the Year award for 2020.[111]

Black Lives Matter

[edit]

In May 2020, after the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Wallace began to speak out about the abuse of African Americans by the police, becoming the face of stock car racing's involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement. Wallace has advocated for causes such as police reform, defunding, & in some cases abolishment of Police forces. On June 8, 2020, he called on NASCAR to prohibit displays of the Confederate battle flag at NASCAR races. In 2015, after the publication of photographs showing the white man who killed nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, posing with the flag, the organization began asking fans not to display the flag at its races. However, many fans in the South continued to hoist the Confederate flag at races.[112] On June 10, 2020, NASCAR officially banned the display of the flag at its events.[113]

In the 2020 Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 NASCAR race at Martinsville Speedway, Wallace's car had a special paint scheme to honor Black Lives Matter when no other sponsor could be found for that race. The car featured an illustration of black and white hands interlocking together on the hood of the car, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on the side, and the phrase "Compassion, Love, Understanding" on both the hood and the back bumper. Richard Petty, owner of Richard Petty Motorsports, contributed to the livery by adding a peace symbol on the rear quarter-panel of the car that features hands of all colors circling inside the peace symbol.[114][115] The livery was made after Richard Petty Motorsports failed to secure a primary sponsorship for the race. The team later suggested the idea to Wallace that he run an all-black car to honor the movement.[116] Wallace finished 11th after securing top-ten finishes in both stages, his career-best at Martinsville in the Cup Series.[117]

Personal life

[edit]

Wallace was born in Mobile, Alabama and raised in Concord, North Carolina.

Born to a black mother and a white father,[118] Wallace is the son of Darrell Wallace Sr. and Desiree Wallace.[2][119] His father is the owner of an industrial cleaning company, and his mother is a social worker who ran track at the University of Tennessee.[120]

Wallace is best friends with fellow NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney.[121] The two first met when they raced Bandoleros in their youth.[122]

In 2019, Wallace revealed that he dealt with and continues to deal with depression for most of his racing career.[123] After others reached out to him to thank him for bringing awareness to depression, Wallace said he did not know it was such a widespread problem; for him, being depressed was an honest answer to a media question.[124]

On July 23, 2019, Wallace posted photos of Richard Petty autographing his left forearm. He vowed to have Petty's signature tattooed if the photos were retweeted 43,000 times. The goal was made by the morning of July 25.[125] Less than a month later, Wallace had Petty's signature tattooed on the back of his right thigh.[126]

Wallace married Amanda Carter on December 31, 2022,[127] after getting engaged on July 30, 2021.[128] The couple has a son together.[129]

Wallace is a Christian. In an interview with Esquire in 2020, Wallace clarified that his criticism of Michael McDowell after an incident at that year's All-Star Race was not meant as an attack on McDowell's Christian faith as some had perceived. "A lot of people took that as attacking his faith and it definitely wasn't that. I have nothing against that. I'm a Christian myself. When you go disrespectful, then that shows the character that you are. That's what I was getting at."[130] Wallace's wrecked front bumper from the incident was put up for auction and raised $20,034 for the Christian non-profit organization Motor Racing Outreach.[131]

In media

[edit]

In 2017, Wallace voiced the character Bubba Wheelhouse in the 2017 Pixar film Cars 3.[132]

Leading up to the 2018 Daytona 500, he starred in the Facebook Watch series Behind the Wall: Bubba Wallace.[133]

Wallace and 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin appear in the music video for Post Malone's 2021 song "Motley Crew".[134]

In 2021, Wallace participated virtually in the 2021 Pro Bowl after the event was cancelled and hosted on Madden NFL 21.[135]

In 2022, he was the subject of the Netflix docu-series Race: Bubba Wallace. The six-episode series follows Wallace's career during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, including his off-track life and activism.[136]

Motorsports career results

[edit]

Stock car career summary

[edit]
Season Series Team Races Wins Top 5 Top 10 Points Position
2010 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Rev Racing 10 2 5 7 1467 3rd
2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Rev Racing 12 3 5 11 1871 2nd
2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series Joe Gibbs Racing 4 0 0 3 139 36th
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East 14 1 6 7 470 7th
2013 NASCAR Truck Series Kyle Busch Motorsports 22 1 5 12 704 8th
ARCA Racing Series Venturini Motorsports 1 0 0 0 55 137th
2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series Joe Gibbs Racing 2 0 0 1 0 NC†
NASCAR Truck Series Kyle Busch Motorsports 22 4 9 14 799 3rd
2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series Roush Fenway Racing 33 0 3 14 1071 7th
2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Roush Fenway Racing 33 0 3 9 2163 11th
2017 NASCAR Cup Series Richard Petty Motorsports 4 0 0 0 0 NC†
NASCAR Xfinity Series Roush Fenway Racing 12 0 0 7 348 20th
Biagi-DenBeste Racing 1 0 0 1
NASCAR Truck Series MDM Motorsports 1 1 1 1 0 NC†
2018 NASCAR Cup Series Richard Petty Motorsports 36 0 1 3 471 28th
NASCAR Truck Series Young's Motorsports 1 0 0 0 0 NC†
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Jefferson Pitts Racing 1 0 0 1 38 42nd
2019 NASCAR Cup Series Richard Petty Motorsports 36 0 1 1 437 28th
NASCAR Truck Series AM Racing 2 0 0 1 0 NC†
2020 NASCAR Cup Series Richard Petty Motorsports 36 0 1 5 597 22nd
2021 NASCAR Cup Series 23XI Racing 36 1 3 3 699 21st
NASCAR Xfinity Series Hattori Racing Enterprises 1 0 0 1 0 NC†
NASCAR Truck Series Spencer Davis Motorsports 1 0 0 0 0 NC†
2022 NASCAR Cup Series 23XI Racing 35 1 5 10 637 19th
NASCAR Xfinity Series Joe Gibbs Racing 2 0 0 0 0 NC†
2023 NASCAR Cup Series 23XI Racing 36 0 5 10 2279 10th
NASCAR Truck Series Tricon Garage 2 0 1 2 0 NC†
2024 NASCAR Cup Series 23XI Racing 36 0 6 14 878 18th

† As Wallace was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.

NASCAR

[edit]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Cup Series

[edit]
NASCAR Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 NCSC Pts Ref
2017 Richard Petty Motorsports 43 Ford DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL MAR TEX BRI RCH TAL KAN CLT DOV POC
26 		MCH
19 		SON DAY
15 		KEN
11 		NHA IND POC GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH CHI NHA DOV CLT TAL KAN MAR TEX PHO HOM 50th 01 [137]
2018 Chevy DAY
2 		ATL
32 		LVS
21 		PHO
28 		CAL
20 		MAR
34 		TEX
8 		BRI
16 		RCH
25 		TAL
16 		DOV
25 		KAN
23 		CLT
16 		POC
38 		MCH
19 		SON
29 		CHI
23 		DAY
14 		KEN
27 		NHA
24 		POC
33 		GLN
25 		MCH
23 		BRI
38 		DAR
26 		IND
38 		LVS
38 		RCH
27 		ROV
36 		DOV
23 		TAL
19 		KAN
26 		MAR
34 		TEX
25 		PHO
10 		HOM
21 		28th 471 [138]
2019 DAY
38 		ATL
27 		LVS
26 		PHO
22 		CAL
30 		MAR
17 		TEX
23 		BRI
20 		RCH
27 		TAL
39 		DOV
27 		KAN
29 		CLT
25 		POC
21 		MCH
28 		SON
26 		CHI
25 		DAY
15 		KEN
23 		NHA
22 		POC
22 		GLN
28 		MCH
27 		BRI
14 		DAR
24 		IND
3 		LVS
23 		RCH
12 		ROV
24 		DOV
20 		TAL
24 		KAN
35 		MAR
13 		TEX
24 		PHO
25 		HOM
34 		28th 437 [139]
2020 DAY
15 		LVS
6 		CAL
27 		PHO
19 		DAR
21 		DAR
16 		CLT
38 		CLT
37 		BRI
10 		ATL
21 		MAR
11 		HOM
13 		TAL
14 		POC
22 		POC
20 		IND
9 		KEN
27 		TEX
14 		KAN
37 		NHA
23 		MCH
9 		MCH
21 		DRC
25 		DOV
27 		DOV
21 		DAY
5 		DAR
38 		RCH
26 		BRI
22 		LVS
28 		TAL
24 		ROV
21 		KAN
18 		TEX
38 		MAR
21 		PHO
15 		22nd 597 [57]
2021 23XI Racing 23 Toyota DAY
17 		DRC
26 		HOM
22 		LVS
28 		PHO
16 		ATL
16 		BRD
27 		MAR
16 		RCH
26 		TAL
19 		KAN
26 		DAR
21 		DOV
11 		COA
39 		CLT
14 		SON
14 		NSH
20 		POC
14 		POC
5 		ROA
24 		ATL
14 		NHA
26 		GLN
23 		IRC
13 		MCH
19 		DAY
2 		DAR
21 		RCH
32 		BRI
16 		LVS
16 		TAL
1 		ROV
14 		TEX
32 		KAN
14 		MAR
25 		PHO
39 		21st 699 [140]
2022 DAY
2 		CAL
19 		LVS
25 		PHO
22 		ATL
13 		COA
38 		RCH
26 		MAR
16 		BRD
28 		TAL
17 		DOV
16 		DAR
27 		KAN
10 		CLT
28 		GTW
26 		SON
36 		NSH
12 		ROA
35 		ATL
14 		NHA
3 		POC
8 		IRC
5 		MCH
2 		RCH
13 		GLN
35 		DAY
11 		19th 637 [141]
45 DAR
9 		KAN
1 		BRI
29 		TEX
25 		TAL
16 		ROV
7 		LVS
36 		HOM MAR
8 		PHO
22
2023 23 DAY
20 		CAL
30 		LVS
4 		PHO
14 		ATL
27 		COA
37 		RCH
22 		BRD
12 		MAR
9 		TAL
28 		DOV
12 		KAN
4 		DAR
5 		CLT
4 		GTW
30 		SON
17 		NSH
15 		CSC
31 		ATL
25 		NHA
8 		POC
11 		RCH
12 		MCH
18 		IRC
18 		GLN
12 		DAY
12 		DAR
7 		KAN
32 		BRI
14 		TEX
3* 		TAL
23 		ROV
16 		LVS
13 		HOM
6 		MAR
11 		PHO
10 		10th 2279 [142]
2024 DAY
5 		ATL
5 		LVS
35 		PHO
16 		BRI
29 		COA
15 		RCH
13 		MAR
4 		TEX
7 		TAL
36 		DOV
32 		KAN
17 		DAR
7 		CLT
11 		GTW
21 		SON
20 		IOW
17 		NHA
34 		NSH
7 		CSC
13 		POC
10 		IND
5 		RCH
4 		MCH
26 		DAY
6 		DAR
16 		ATL
29 		GLN
17 		BRI
3 		KAN
17 		TAL
9 		ROV
9 		LVS
12 		HOM
18 		MAR
18 		PHO
7 		18th 878 [143]
2025 DAY
29 		ATL
9 		COA
20 		PHO
29 		LVS
28 		HOM
3 		MAR
3 		DAR
21 		BRI
19 		TAL
8 		TEX
33 		KAN
33 		CLT
35 		NSH
6 		MCH
4 		MXC
12 		POC
36 		ATL
22 		CSC
28 		SON
26 		DOV
7 		IND
1 		IOW
6 		GLN
8 		RCH
28* 		DAY
37 		DAR
6 		GTW
8 		BRI
34 		NHA
26 		KAN
5 		ROV
15 		LVS
22 		TAL
4 		MAR
18 		PHO
37 		11th 2256 [144]
2026 DAY ATL COA PHO LVS DAR MAR BRI KAN TAL TEX GLN CLT NSH MCH POC COR SON CHI ATL NWS IND IOW RCH NHA DAY DAR GTW BRI KAN LVS ROV PHO TAL MAR HOM
Daytona 500
[edit]
Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
2018 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 7 2
2019 13 38
2020 11 15
2021 23XI Racing Toyota 6 17
2022 16 2
2023 15 20
2024 24 5
2025 3 29

Xfinity Series

[edit]
NASCAR Xfinity Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 NXSC Pts Ref
2012 Joe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL TEX RCH TAL DAR IOW
9 		CLT DOV MCH ROA KEN DAY NHA CHI IND IOW
7 		GLN CGV BRI ATL RCH
10 		CHI KEN DOV
12 		CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 36th 139 [145]
2014 Joe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL TEX DAR RCH TAL
31 		IOW CLT DOV MCH ROA KEN DAY
7 		NHA CHI IND IOW GLN MOH BRI ATL RCH CHI KEN DOV KAN CLT TEX PHO HOM 94th 01 [146]
2015 Roush Fenway Racing 6 Ford DAY
12 		ATL
11 		LVS
7 		PHO
15 		CAL
12 		TEX
6 		BRI
12 		RCH
12 		TAL
20 		IOW
6 		CLT
5 		DOV
17 		MCH
15 		CHI
10 		DAY
34 		KEN
7 		NHA
8 		IND
23 		IOW
11 		GLN
16 		MOH
8 		BRI
12 		ROA
5 		DAR
14 		RCH
14 		CHI
3 		KEN
9 		DOV
11 		CLT
8 		KAN
11 		TEX
19 		PHO
8 		HOM
10 		7th 1071 [147]
2016 DAY
6 		ATL
18 		LVS
33 		PHO
12 		CAL
3 		TEX
15 		BRI
25 		RCH
16 		TAL
13 		DOV
2 		CLT
27 		POC
16 		MCH
9 		IOW
9 		DAY
20 		KEN
5 		NHA
12 		IND
14 		IOW
27 		GLN
29 		MOH
15 		BRI
7 		ROA
9 		DAR
17 		RCH
12 		CHI
20 		KEN
8 		DOV
11 		CLT
20 		KAN
33 		TEX
11 		PHO
32 		HOM
11 		11th 2163 [148]
2017 DAY
33 		ATL
6 		LVS
6 		PHO
6 		CAL
6 		TEX
6 		BRI
33 		RCH
6 		TAL
13 		CLT
28 		DOV
8 		POC
11 		MCH IOW DAY KEN NHA IND IOW GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR RCH 20th 348 [149]
Biagi-DenBeste Racing 98 Ford CHI
10 		KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM
2021 Hattori Racing Enterprises 61 Toyota DAY DRC HOM LVS PHO ATL MAR TAL DAR DOV COA CLT MOH TEX NSH POC ROA ATL NHA GLN IRC MCH
10 		DAY DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL ROV TEX KAN MAR PHO 87th 01 [150]
2022 Joe Gibbs Racing 18 Toyota DAY CAL LVS PHO ATL COA
28 		RCH MAR TAL DOV DAR TEX CLT PIR NSH ROA ATL NHA POC IRC
35 		MCH GLN DAY DAR KAN BRI TEX TAL ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO 105th 01 [151]

Craftsman Truck Series

[edit]
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 NCTC Pts Ref
2013 Kyle Busch Motorsports 54 Toyota DAY
12 		MAR
5 		CAR
27 		KAN
7 		CLT
27 		DOV
10 		TEX
6 		KEN
28 		IOW
8 		ELD
7 		POC
7 		MCH
21 		BRI
28 		MSP
4 		IOW
5 		CHI
11 		LVS
5 		TAL
17 		MAR
1* 		TEX
7 		PHO
20 		HOM
15 		8th 704 [152]
2014 DAY
26 		MAR
2 		KAN
15 		CLT
26 		DOV
16 		TEX
10 		GTW
1* 		KEN
2 		IOW
13 		ELD
1* 		POC
8 		MCH
11* 		BRI
2 		MSP
12 		CHI
6 		NHA
2 		LVS
2* 		TAL
9 		TEX
26 		PHO
6 		HOM
1 		3rd 799 [153]
34 MAR
1*
2017 MDM Motorsports 99 Chevy DAY ATL MAR KAN CLT DOV TEX GTW IOW KEN ELD POC MCH
1 		BRI MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 103rd 01 [154]
2018 Young's Motorsports 20 Chevy DAY ATL LVS MAR DOV KAN
14 		CLT TEX IOW GTW CHI KEN ELD POC MCH BRI MSP LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 101st 01 [155]
2019 AM Racing 22 Chevy DAY ATL LVS MAR
10 		TEX
20 		DOV KAN CLT TEX IOW GTW CHI KEN POC ELD MCH BRI MSP LVS TAL MAR PHO HOM 102nd 01 [156]
2021 Spencer Davis Motorsports 11 Toyota DAY DRC LVS ATL BRD
11 		RCH KAN DAR COA CLT TEX NSH POC KNX GLN GTW DAR BRI LVS TAL MAR PHO 103rd 01 [157]
2022 Halmar Friesen Racing 52 Toyota DAY LVS ATL COA MAR BRD DAR KAN
QL† 		TEX CLT GTW SON KNX NSH MOH POC IRP RCH KAN BRI TAL HOM PHO N/A – [158]
2023 Tricon Garage 1 Toyota DAY LVS ATL COA TEX BRD MAR KAN DAR
7 		NWS
5 		CLT GTW NSH MOH POC RCH IRP MLW KAN BRI TAL HOM PHO 94th 01 [159]
† – Practiced and qualified for Stewart Friesen

* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

K&N Pro Series East

[edit]
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 NKNPSEC Pts Ref
2010 Rev Racing 6 Chevy GRE
1 		SBO
20 		MAR
3 		NHA
3 		LRP
6 		LEE
1 		JFC
15 		NHA
9 		DOV
25 		3rd 1467 [160]
76 IOW
3
2011 6 Toyota GRE
6 		SBO
6* 		RCH
1 		IOW
6 		BGS
6 		JFC
4 		LGY
9 		NHA
30 		COL
1* 		GRE
6 		NHA
3 		DOV
1 		2nd 1871 [161]
2012 Joe Gibbs Racing 18 Toyota BRI
18 		GRE
1* 		RCH
28 		IOW
26 		BGS
2 		JFC
7 		LGY
16 		CNB
22 		COL
3 		IOW
11 		NHA
3 		DOV
2* 		GRE
13 		CAR
2 		7th 470 [162]
2018 Jefferson Pitts Racing 27 Chevy NSM BRI LGY SBO SBO MEM NJM TMP NHA IOW GLN
6 		GTW NHA DOV 42nd 38 [163]

ARCA Racing Series

[edit]

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Racing Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ARSC Pts Ref
2013 Venturini Motorsports 55 Toyota DAY
35 		MOB SLM TAL TOL ELK POC MCH ROA WIN CHI NJE POC BLN ISF MAD DSF IOW SLM KEN KAN 137th 55 [164]

CARS Super Late Model Tour

[edit]

(key)

CARS Super Late Model Tour results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 CSLMTC Pts Ref
2017 Jamie Yelton 6W Ford CON DOM DOM HCY HCY BRI
1* 		AND ROU TCM ROU HCY CON SBO N/A 0 [165]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Bubba Wallace

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
William Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. is an American professional stock car racing driver who competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing. Wallace entered NASCAR through the Drive for Diversity program and progressed through its development series, securing six wins in the Craftsman Truck Series and becoming the first Black driver to win a national series race since Wendell Scott in 1963 with a victory at Martinsville Speedway in 2013. In the Cup Series, he made his debut in 2017 as a part-time driver for Richard Petty Motorsports before joining 23XI Racing in 2021, where he achieved his first Cup victory at Talladega Superspeedway later that year, marking the first win by a Black driver in the series since Scott's 1963 triumph at Jacksonville Speedway. Wallace has since added two more Cup wins, at Kansas Speedway in 2022 and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, establishing himself as a competitive force with consistent top finishes in recent seasons. His career gained widespread attention amid NASCAR's 2020 response to racial tensions, particularly following the discovery of a noose in his assigned garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway, which the FBI investigated and concluded was a pre-existing pull rope not intended as a hate crime or targeted at Wallace.

Early Life

Childhood and Introduction to Racing

William Darrell Wallace Jr., known as Bubba Wallace, was born on October 8, 1993, in , to Darrell Wallace Sr., a white small business owner, and Desiree Wallace, a Black mother of five children from a previous . The family relocated to , near Charlotte—a hub for —when Wallace was two years old, where he experienced a race-neutral upbringing amid the region's motorsports culture. Wallace's father played a pivotal role in introducing him to , frequently taking the young child to observe events across the country, which sparked his interest in the sport. At age nine, urged by his father, Wallace began competing in go-karts around 2002, marking his entry into competitive . By 2005, at age 11 or 12, he advanced to the entry-level series, a junior stock car division for drivers under 16 using small, purpose-built chassis vehicles; in that inaugural season, Wallace won 35 of the 48 races he entered, demonstrating rapid proficiency. He also participated in —a quarter-scale stock car series—and local events, building experience on short tracks and ovals typical of grassroots motorsports. These early successes in Bandoleros and related series laid the foundation for his progression through junior divisions, emphasizing mechanical familiarity and track skills honed from a young age.

Family Background and Influences

William Darrell Wallace Jr., known as Bubba Wallace, was born on October 8, 1993, in , to Darrell Wallace Sr. and Desiree Wallace. His father is Caucasian and his mother is African American, making Wallace biracial. The family relocated to , when Wallace was approximately two years old, positioning them closer to major racing facilities and the NASCAR ecosystem. Darrell Wallace Sr. owns and operates Wallace Industrial Inc., a company specializing in industrial cleaning services. Desiree Wallace works as a social worker and was a track athlete during her time at the . Both parents played key roles in fostering Wallace's early interest in motorsports, providing logistical and emotional backing as he began competing in go-karts at age nine. Wallace has credited his mother as his "biggest fan," highlighting her ongoing emotional support through the challenges of his formative racing years. His father contributed guidance in navigating the competitive landscape, helping sustain the family's investment in his development amid financial and logistical demands. The couple's and unified support for their son's pursuits exemplified a stable family foundation amid the predominantly white motorsports environment.

Amateur and Early Professional Career

Karting and Initial Stock Car Racing

Wallace began racing go-karts at the age of nine in 2002, at the encouragement of his father. He quickly transitioned to entry-level stock car series, competing in Bandolero cars starting in 2005, when he won 35 of 48 races, many at Charlotte Motor Speedway. By 2006, Wallace had advanced to Legends cars, a step up in wheelbase and power from Bandoleros, while continuing local late model events. In 2007, at age 13, he shifted primarily to late model stock cars, racing through teams associated with NASCAR's Drive for Diversity initiative, including Revolution Racing. The next year, Wallace achieved his first late model victory at Franklin County Speedway in Virginia, becoming the youngest driver to win there at age 14. These early successes in junior and late model divisions laid the foundation for his entry into sanctioned NASCAR developmental series.

NASCAR Drive for Diversity and K&N Pro Series

Wallace entered 's Drive for Diversity program, which supports minority and female drivers through development opportunities with . This affiliation enabled his debut in the K&N Pro Series East in 2010, driving for . In his rookie season of 2010, Wallace earned Rookie of the Year honors in the K&N Pro Series East, securing two victories, including his debut win at and another at Lee USA Speedway on July 30. He continued with in 2011, winning three races: the Blue Ox 100 at Richmond International Raceway on April 28, the inaugural Jegs 150 at Columbus Motor Speedway on July 23, and the Dover 150 on October 1. Wallace's performance in the series, totaling five wins over his first two full seasons, positioned him as a top contender, though Max Gresham claimed the championship. He added a win at on March 31, 2012, before transitioning to higher series. These achievements through the Drive for Diversity initiative highlighted his rapid progression in .

NASCAR Xfinity Series Career

2012–2017 Seasons: Breakthrough and Consistency Challenges

Wallace made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on May 20, 2012, driving the No. 20 Toyota for at , where he finished 15th after starting 13th and running competitively in the top 10 for much of the race. He competed in four races that season with JGR, including finishes of 10th at Richmond and 12th at Dover, demonstrating early promise in limited equipment. Additional starts in 2014 with JGR in the No. 20 brought his total to six appearances over those years, with no top-5 finishes but consistent mid-pack results that highlighted his potential as a development driver. In 2015, Wallace transitioned to a full-time role with Roush Fenway Racing in the Ford, marking his breakthrough season as a with 33 starts, three top-5 finishes, 14 top-10s, one pole at Dover, and a seventh-place points finish despite zero wins and 85 laps led. This performance, including strong showings at tracks like , established him as a contender but underscored challenges in closing out victories amid competitive fields dominated by more experienced drivers and superior equipment. The 2016 season saw continued competitiveness with Roush, highlighted by a second-place finish at Dover— the highest Xfinity result for an African-American driver at the time—but overall results regressed with fewer top-10s and persistent winless streak, attributed to mechanical issues and inconsistent car setups. Wallace achieved top-5s at and other intermediates, yet averaged finishes outside the top 10 more frequently, reflecting equipment limitations at Roush compared to rivals like . By 2017, funding shortfalls led Roush to scale back the No. 6 program mid-season, leaving Wallace without a full-time ride after early results including a pole at Daytona but marred by crashes and subpar finishes. He made 22 starts overall that year across teams, with top-10s at tracks like Pocono but no victories, culminating in struggles to maintain momentum and secure consistent top equipment, which hampered his progression toward the Cup Series. These years illustrated Wallace's raw talent in qualifying and select races but exposed ongoing challenges with reliability, team resources, and translating speed into wins against established competition.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Career

2013–2019 and 2021: Sporadic Success and Team Transitions

Wallace competed in a full-time schedule for the 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season with Kyle Busch Motorsports in the No. 54 Toyota, making 22 starts and achieving one victory at Martinsville Speedway on October 19, where he led 67 laps to become the first Black driver to win a NASCAR national series race since Wendell Scott in 1963. He recorded five top-five finishes and ten top-ten results, finishing eighth in the final driver standings with 3,343 points despite mechanical issues in several late-season events. This performance earned him second place in the rookie of the year standings behind Ryan Blaney. In 2014, Wallace shifted to a partial schedule with the same team and car number amid his transition to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, contesting ten races and securing two victories: the June 14 event at , where he started from the pole and led 105 laps, and the July 23 dirt race at , marking NASCAR's return to dirt in the series. He added a third win on October 25 at , leading 111 of 130 laps, and ended the year third in points among part-time drivers with consistent top-ten finishes in six races. These results highlighted his adaptability on varied surfaces but reflected reduced commitment as he prioritized Xfinity development with . From 2015 to 2016, Wallace's Truck Series appearances dwindled to sporadic entries, primarily as preparation for obligations, with no wins and limited top finishes amid mechanical retirements and focus on higher-tier consistency. He returned more prominently in 2017 with , driving the No. 66 to at on August 11, leading the final 20 laps after starting 11th. This marked his fourth Truck win overall, though additional starts yielded mixed results, including crashes that underscored equipment challenges in a part-time role. Wallace's 2018 and 2019 Truck involvement further decreased following his Series debut, limited to one start each year: a fifth-place finish at on March 29, 2019, in the No. 54 for KBM, demonstrating retained speed but no further victories as resources shifted upward. In 2021, amid his inaugural full season with , he made a single Truck appearance for in the No. 23 at the inaugural Bristol Dirt Race on March 29, qualifying competitively but finishing 11th after tire management issues on the converted dirt surface. This outing represented a brief return to dirt racing roots without notable success, aligning with his elevated priorities and team transitions away from Truck-level competition.

NASCAR Cup Series Career

2017–2020: Entry and Initial Struggles

Wallace entered the on a part-time basis in , substituting for the injured in the No. 43 Ford for (RPM). His debut occurred on June 11 at , where he started 21st and finished 28th after a late-race incident. He competed in four races that year, achieving no top-10 finishes and posting an average finish of approximately 27th, reflecting the challenges of adapting to the series' higher competition level with limited preparation. On October 25, 2017, RPM announced Wallace would drive the No. 43 full-time in 2018, marking him as the team's primary driver alongside veteran partner team . As a rookie, he earned second place in the , leading briefly before a late caution, and secured one additional top-10 finish at ISM Raceway in Phoenix. Despite these highlights, Wallace led only 19 laps across the 36-race season and averaged a 24.5 finish position, hampered by RPM's underfunded equipment and frequent mechanical issues, finishing 24th in the final points standings and runner-up to William Byron for Rookie of the Year. The 2019 season brought continued inconsistency for Wallace in the No. 43 Chevrolet, now under a technical alliance with . He recorded one top-five (fifth at Talladega) and one top-10 finish across 36 starts, with an average finish of 24.3, underscoring persistent struggles with speed and reliability on non-superspeedway tracks. RPM's organizational limitations, including outdated facilities and limited engineering resources, contributed to subpar results, as Wallace often qualified outside the top 20 and battled handling deficiencies. He ended the year 26th in points, with no playoff contention. In , Wallace's performance remained middling through the early season races prior to the Talladega event, with finishes mostly in the 20s and no top-10s in the first 10 starts. Operating within RPM's constrained budget amid the disruptions, the team struggled to compete against larger organizations, evident in Wallace's inability to lead laps or challenge for points consistently. These years highlighted Wallace's raw talent in restrictor-plate scenarios but exposed gaps in qualifying pace, racecraft execution, and team support, resulting in zero wins and limited competitive depth over 82 starts from 2017 to mid-2020.

2021–2023: 23XI Racing, First Win, and Playoff Appearances

Wallace transitioned to the newly established team for the 2021 season, driving the No. 23 XSE as the organization's inaugural driver. The team, co-owned by NBA star and veteran , provided Wallace with a fresh start after his departure from . During the year, he recorded two top-five finishes, including a third-place result at in August, and maintained an average finishing position of 19th across 36 starts. On October 4, 2021, Wallace achieved his first victory in the at , a rain-shortened event red-flagged after 188 laps. He led the final 10 laps after avoiding a late-race incident involving playoff contenders, marking the first Cup win by a driver since Wendell Scott's 1963 triumph at Spartanburg Speedway. Despite the milestone, Wallace ended the season 23rd in the driver points standings, missing the as his pre-race position did not qualify him for the postseason format. In 2022, Wallace delivered his strongest performance to date, securing two victories that propelled him into the playoffs. His first win came at the presented by Gainbridge at on July 31, ending a 101-race since Talladega. Later, on , he won the at , surging late to beat playoff drivers and serve as a spoiler in the Round of 16 opener. These triumphs guaranteed his inaugural playoff appearance, where he advanced to the Round of 16 but was eliminated after finishes of 17th at and 20th at Kansas. Wallace tallied five top-five results overall, finishing 10th in the final standings. Wallace's 2023 campaign marked further progress without a victory, emphasizing consistency en route to his second consecutive playoff berth. He clinched the spot on August 27 via a 12th-place finish in the regular-season finale at , becoming the first 23XI driver to qualify on points alone. In the playoffs, Wallace advanced past the Round of 16 with a 14th-place result at , reaching the Round of 12 for the first time, before elimination following stages at , Charlotte Roval, and Martinsville. He achieved three top-five finishes, including a runner-up at in March, and ended ninth in points, the best full-time result of his career to that point.

2024–2025: Winless Periods, Third Victory, and Performance Resurgence

In the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, Bubba Wallace drove the No. 23 Toyota full-time for 23XI Racing but recorded no victories, extending his winless streak that began after his second career win at Kansas Speedway in September 2022. He secured six top-five finishes and 14 top-ten results, with a season-best second place at Darlington Raceway on September 1, yet finished 14th in the final driver points standings with an average finish of 14.86. Despite consistent mid-pack contention, Wallace missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020, prompting scrutiny over team strategy and car setup amid reports of crew adjustments later in the year. The winless drought persisted into 2025, reaching 100 races by mid-season and fueling debates on Wallace's consistency relative to equipment quality at , a team backed by significant resources from co-owner . Early 2025 results included a 29th-place finish in the after starting strong by winning Duel 1, followed by variable performances such as a pole at another event but mechanical issues limiting top finishes. Wallace broke the streak on July 27 at the , leading the final 30 laps through double overtime and edging by 0.222 seconds for his third career Cup win and first in a crown-jewel event. This victory marked him as the first driver to win a major race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's oval. Following the Brickyard triumph, Wallace exhibited signs of resurgence, posting five top-five and 13 top-ten finishes through late October 2025, with an average starting position of 18.28 and finishing position of 15.47—improvements over prior seasons' mid-pack norms. Notable results included sixth at the Cook Out Southern 500 on August 31 and eighth at the Enjoy Illinois 300 on September 7, contributing to stronger playoff contention prospects despite setbacks like a 34th at Bristol. Analysts attributed the uptick to refined qualifying pace and racecraft, though questions lingered on sustaining elite speed without superspeedway chaos, as his non-drafting wins remained limited to two prior to Brickyard.

Controversies

2020 Noose Incident: Initial Claims, FBI Investigation, and Aftermath

On June 21, 2020, a crew member from Bubba Wallace's Richard Petty Motorsports team discovered a rope fashioned into a noose-like loop hanging from the garage door in stall number 4 at Talladega Superspeedway, which had been assigned to the No. 43 team for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race. The discovery occurred around 4:30 p.m. local time during preparations, and the crew member immediately alerted team and NASCAR officials, interpreting the rope as a potential symbol of racial intimidation directed at Wallace, NASCAR's only full-time Black Cup Series driver at the time. Wallace, upon being informed by NASCAR President Steve Phelps around 7:30 p.m., publicly described the item as "100% a noose" on social media and in statements, expressing that the sight evoked personal fears of lynching and targeted racism, stating it felt like "they're just trying to scare me." NASCAR officials promptly treated the incident as a suspected , notifying federal authorities and delaying the start of the Talladega race by several hours on June 22 to allow for initial review. In solidarity, approximately 1,000 drivers, crew members, and officials pushed Wallace's car to the front of the grid before the race, and NASCAR issued a statement condemning the act as "a despicable act" and reinforcing its commitment to inclusivity amid ongoing racial justice discussions. This occurred shortly after NASCAR's June 10 decision to ban Confederate flags at events, influenced by Wallace's advocacy for following George Floyd's death. The FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of launched a formal investigation on June 22, interviewing Wallace's team, reviewing footage, and examining the rope, which was removed from the stall for analysis. The FBI concluded its investigation on June 23, 2020, determining that the rope was a standard garage door pull cord tied into a loop, present in stall 4 since at least October 4, 2019—months before Wallace's team was assigned the space—and used by multiple prior teams, including those with Black drivers. Federal authorities found no evidence of intentional targeting of Wallace or any federal hate crime, supported by photographic records showing the rope in place during unrelated events in fall 2019. NASCAR's subsequent internal probe, completed on June 25, corroborated these findings, confirming the rope's longstanding presence via track maintenance logs and video evidence, while releasing a photo of the item to illustrate its configuration as a functional pull rather than a deliberate symbol. In the aftermath, Wallace acknowledged relief at the absence of a hate crime but maintained that the discovery's emotional impact remained valid, stating on June 23 that "the ... offends me" regardless of its age and expressing frustration at public accusations questioning his honesty or suggesting a . affirmed its support for Wallace, with President Steve Phelps emphasizing that "the concern and fear Bubba felt was real" and defending the initial response as appropriate given the context of racial tensions in the . The incident drew criticism from some fans and commentators who viewed it as an overreaction or publicity-driven exaggeration, particularly after outlets that initially amplified narratives reduced coverage following the FBI's exoneration of criminal intent, highlighting disparities in source emphasis on unresolved racial grievance claims. No charges were filed, and the event contributed to broader debates on perceived racial incidents in motorsports, though pointed to a pre-existing maintenance feature rather than targeted malice.

Criticisms of Racing Talent and Diversity-Driven Hype

Critics have contended that Bubba Wallace's elevated profile in owes more to diversity initiatives and promotional hype than to talent, arguing that his on-track results fail to justify the opportunities and attention afforded him. In the Cup Series, Wallace has recorded three wins across 288 starts as of October 2025, with victories at on October 4, 2021; on September 11, 2022; and in 2024, often at tracks favoring chaos over precision handling. This tally contrasts with teammates like at , who secured multiple wins in comparable equipment during the same period, prompting claims that Wallace benefits from outsized support without commensurate output. Wallace's career trajectory, including early backing through NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program and subsequent full-time seats at teams like and the /Denny Hamlin-owned , has fueled assertions of preferential treatment driven by racial representation goals rather than raw speed or consistency. Detractors highlight his pre- struggles, such as limited Series wins (five between 2012 and 2017) despite hyped potential, and post-2021 inconsistencies—like zero wins in 2023 despite playoff contention—as evidence that diversity narratives inflated expectations beyond skill-based merit. Former drivers and analysts, including , have voiced concerns over Wallace's inability to capitalize on premium machinery, with Harvick noting in June 2025 that recent performances raised doubts about sustained competitiveness. Media and fan commentary often contrasts Wallace's confident persona and off-track endorsements with statistical underperformance, such as average finishes hovering in the mid-pack (around 18th-20th career-wide) despite resources rivaling top contenders. Critics attribute this disparity to NASCAR's post-2020 emphasis on inclusivity following Wallace's activism, which amplified his visibility as a "trailblazer" but, in their view, masked deficiencies in qualifying speeds and stage wins compared to peers without similar demographic emphasis. Wallace himself acknowledged prolonged frustration with results in a July 2024 interview, admitting to feeling "miserable" at tracks amid unmet expectations. Such critiques persist despite defensive arguments from supporters, who cite equipment limitations at prior teams, underscoring a divide between perceived hype and empirical results.

Fan and Media Backlash on Performance vs. Public Profile

Following his breakthrough victory at on October 4, 2021—the first by a driver in NASCAR's Series—Wallace received substantial media elevation as a symbol of diversity in the , yet this prominence drew fan scrutiny for outpacing his subsequent on-track consistency. Through 2023, Wallace managed only sporadic top-10 finishes and no additional wins despite competing in a competitive Toyota, leading fans on platforms like to argue that his visibility stemmed more from off-track narratives than results, with one common refrain being that he underperformed relative to equipment quality compared to peers in similar machinery. This sentiment intensified amid perceptions of overhyping Wallace via diversity initiatives, as evidenced by fan backlash in December 2024 against league promotions framing him as a transformative figure despite mid-pack averages in points standings. Fan expressions of discontent often manifested in boos during pre-race introductions, interpreted by observers as tied to a belief that Wallace's public stature—amplified by endorsements and —eclipsed his talent. At the 2020 Bristol All-Star Race, Wallace faced loud jeers from the crowd upon announcement, followed by cheers after a crash, highlighting frustration with his positioning as NASCAR's diversity ambassador amid inconsistent finishes like his 24th-place average that season. Similar reactions occurred at in May 2023 during a Truck Series event, where boos drowned out an despite a fifth-place finish, and at in June 2025, where fans vocalized disapproval pre-race. Even after his July 2025 win at , pre-race boos persisted, though post-victory cheers emerged, underscoring a divide where fans acknowledged results but resented prior emphasis on profile over proven elite performance. Media commentary has echoed this performance-profile gap, with critics attributing fan ire to Wallace's "swagger" exceeding his record of three wins through October 2025 against over 200 starts, often labeling him "cocky" or a "no-talent hack" in online discourse. An August 2024 analysis noted harsher scrutiny than for comparable drivers, linking it to a perceived mismatch where Wallace's attitude and media favoritism post-2020 noose incident fueled resentment, even as his 2024-2025 resurgence included playoff contention. In August 2025, following a strong run, fans flipped criticism after a boastful post-race remark, accusing him of prioritizing confrontation over racing merit, as seen in backlash deeming such moments as emblematic of unearned hype. This dynamic reflects broader fanbase views that Wallace's opportunities, including his 23XI seat backed by , owe more to external factors than sustained dominance, prompting calls for evaluation on results alone.

Activism and Public Stance

Black Lives Matter Support and NASCAR's Response

Following the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, Bubba Wallace publicly expressed support for the movement, stating in a June 3, 2020, interview that he had encouraged fellow drivers to speak out against racial injustice and that he felt compelled to use his platform more actively. On June 7, 2020, during the race at , Wallace wore a black emblazoned with "" and "I Can't Breathe," marking one of the first visible displays of BLM messaging in the sport. Wallace escalated his advocacy on June 9, 2020, announcing that his No. 43 Chevrolet for the upcoming race would feature a black paint scheme with "#BlackLivesMatter" prominently displayed on the rear quarter panels, a decision coordinated with to highlight the movement's message. He also called for the removal of Confederate flags from events, telling that "no one should feel uncomfortable" and that such symbols had no place in the sport. NASCAR responded swiftly to Wallace's appeals, issuing a statement on June 10, 2020, banning the "display of the Confederate flag at NASCAR events and properties," effective immediately, as a direct acknowledgment of concerns raised by Wallace and aimed at fostering inclusivity. The organization further endorsed Wallace's activism through official channels, with multiple drivers joining a video message supporting Black Lives Matter on June 10, 2020, and NASCAR's leadership praising his role in driving conversations on social justice within the predominantly white fanbase and paddock. This alignment extended to operational changes, including permitting BLM-related attire and messaging, which Wallace credited as steps toward addressing systemic issues in racing.

Philanthropic Efforts via Bubba Wallace Foundation

The Live to Be Different Foundation, established by Wallace in 2017, operates as a focused on providing educational, medical, social, and other assistance to disadvantaged individuals, including financially challenged minorities and those requiring second chances, to enable them to pursue their aspirations irrespective of race, , , or . A core initiative involves merit-based scholarships, such as annual $10,000 awards initially targeted at students from Wallace's in , with one granted to a male and one to a female recipient to support higher education access for underrepresented or underprivileged youth. The foundation has expanded this through partnerships like Bold.org, funding scholarships for students needing aid in educational or other developmental pursuits. Community outreach includes holiday toy drives; the second annual event occurred on December 18, 2021, at zMAX Dragway in , distributing toys to underprivileged children during the holiday season. The foundation has benefited from external recognition and funding, including a $60,000 donation from in November 2020 after Wallace received the Comcast Community Champion of the Year award for members' philanthropic work, as well as a 2020 partnership between , , and to bolster its efforts aiding those in need. Financial reports indicate scholarship expenditures, such as $10,000 allocated in one documented fiscal period, reflecting targeted support for individual dreams amid broader charitable goals.

Critiques of Activism Impact on Sport and Career

Critics have argued that Wallace's high-profile support for Black Lives Matter and the ensuing NASCAR ban on Confederate flag displays at events, announced on June 10, 2020, politicized a sport historically focused on entertainment rather than social issues, alienating segments of its core Southern fanbase who associated the flag with heritage rather than racism. Former President Donald Trump publicly criticized the ban on July 6, 2020, claiming it resulted from pressure exerted by Wallace and led to NASCAR's "lowest ratings EVER," though contemporaneous data showed short-term viewership gains amid COVID-19's limited sports landscape. Conservative commentators and fan forums have since attributed part of NASCAR's broader post-2020 attendance and viewership stagnation—averaging around 2-3 million viewers per race by 2023, down from pre-pandemic peaks—to this shift toward overt social activism, viewing it as pandering that eroded the sport's escapist appeal. Regarding Wallace's career, detractors contend that the amplified media attention from his activism created disproportionate hype relative to on-track results, fostering expectations his driving talent—marked by three Cup Series wins primarily at superspeedways (Talladega 2021, Daytona 2022, Indianapolis 2025)—could not consistently meet in top equipment at 23XI Racing. This scrutiny intensified fan backlash, including routine booing at events post-2020, with some accusing him of prioritizing "race card" narratives over performance accountability. Wallace has acknowledged dialing back political commentary in recent years, stating in October 2024 that he avoids it to prevent divisiveness and maintain focus on racing, implying prior engagements may have contributed to internal pressures. In July 2024, following a $50,000 fine for a post-race altercation, he revealed feeling "miserable" at the track for the prior four years amid Cup-level demands, a period coinciding with heightened activism-related spotlight that critics link to mental strain and inconsistent finishes (e.g., 17th in 2023 points, 10th in 2024). While activism secured endorsements and the 23XI seat backed by Michael Jordan, skeptics assert it propped up his profile at the expense of rigorous skill development, evident in critiques from peers and analysts highlighting aggressive but error-prone driving styles.

Personal Life

Marriage and Family Developments

Bubba Wallace met Amanda Carter in high school, and the couple reconnected in 2015 before beginning a romantic relationship. They married on December 31, 2022, in a ceremony at the in , attended by 250 guests. Amanda Wallace, formerly a , has pursued artistic endeavors and frequently supports her husband at events. The Wallaces welcomed their first child, son Becks Hayden Wallace, on September 29, 2024. Wallace has described fatherhood as transformative, stating it provided renewed motivation and perspective amid racing pressures, with Becks influencing his mental approach to competition. On October 24, 2025, the couple announced Amanda's second pregnancy, with the child due in March 2026. This development follows Wallace's public expressions of gratitude for family stability supporting his professional resurgence.

Media and Endorsements

Wallace has secured numerous endorsement deals throughout his career, often tied to his visibility as NASCAR's prominent Black driver. Early partnerships included Kingsford Charcoal in September 2020, alongside Beats by Dre headphones, DoorDash, and Columbia Sportswear, the latter signing him as a brand ambassador. In December 2020, additional sponsors for his No. 23 Toyota with 23XI Racing encompassed McDonald's, Root Insurance, DoorDash, and Dr. Pepper. More recent agreements reflect ongoing corporate support amid his racing profile. , a founding partner of , continued its sponsorship of Wallace despite ending a broader deal and amid a 2025 lawsuit between 23XI and the sanctioning body, as announced on January 13, 2025. became the official partner for Wallace and the No. 23 team on May 22, 2025. Other primary sponsors include the U.S. for multiple 2024 Cup Series races, for six races in 2025, and Robinhood for select 2025 events. Wallace has appeared in various media outlets, frequently discussing his racing career, , and personal challenges. He featured in a full on NASCAR.com's Media Day ahead of the February 16, , addressing preparations and expectations. In August 2025, following his victory—the first by a Black driver at —he spoke with ABC News about the historic win and 's evolution. That same month, post-Daytona, he addressed an early-race incident with media, emphasizing competitive positioning. He has also participated in in-depth discussions on and , including a March 26, 2025, NASCAR.com segment on 23XI Racing's culture and an April 3, 2025, interview with reflecting on his journey and 23XI success. Wallace's post-race press conferences, such as after the July 27, 2025, Brickyard win, have highlighted emotional responses to clinching a playoff spot, with TNT coverage noting his raw commentary on win droughts. Commercials featuring Wallace have aired nationally, tracked across 11 campaigns in recent periods, often promoting sponsor products.

Racing Statistics and Legacy

Career Summary Across Series

Wallace entered professional racing through NASCAR's developmental series, competing in the K&N Pro Series East starting in 2010, where he finished second in the points standings that year. He also participated in select events in 2012 and 2013, posting competitive finishes but no victories in limited appearances. In the , Wallace raced primarily from 2013 to 2014 with , accumulating six wins across 49 starts, including his national series debut victory at on September 20, 2013. This triumph marked the first win by a Black driver in the series since in 1977. He added sporadic Truck Series outings through 2023, but his primary focus shifted upward. Wallace transitioned to the NASCAR Xfinity Series for full-time competition with Roush Fenway Racing from 2015 to 2017, logging 108 starts with two victories—at on August 22, 2015, and on June 10, 2017—and 31 top-10 finishes over those seasons. His best points finish was eighth in 2017. He returned for select races in later years, including a win at Martinsville in 2013 as a Truck substitute, but emphasized higher divisions thereafter. Wallace debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series with a substitute start in the 2017 Daytona 500, then joined Richard Petty Motorsports full-time in 2018 before moving to 23XI Racing in 2021. As of October 2025, he has made 288 starts, securing three wins: Talladega Superspeedway on October 4, 2021; Kansas Speedway on September 11, 2022; and Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27, 2025. In the 2025 season, he completed 35 starts with one victory, six top-five finishes, 14 top-10s, and a 10th-place points ranking at 2,236 points. His Cup career averages an 18.0 finish position, reflecting consistent mid-pack contention with occasional superspeedway and intermediate-track breakthroughs.
SeriesStartsWinsTop 5sTop 10sBest Points Finish
K&N Pro Series East~37N/AN/AN/A2nd (2010)
Craftsman Truck496N/AN/AN/A
108+2N/A318th (2017)
2883N/AN/A10th (2025)

Key Achievements, Records, and Analytical Performance Metrics

Bubba Wallace achieved his first victory on October 3, 2021, at , marking the first Cup win for driver and owner Michael Jordan's team and only the second such victory by an African American driver in series history. His second win came on September 11, 2022, at , where he led the final 68 laps after a late caution. Wallace secured a third Cup triumph on July 27, 2025, in the at , becoming the first African American driver to win a major event on the 2.5-mile oval and leading 27 laps amid rain delays and overtime restarts. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Wallace recorded three wins, including the 2017 Food City 300 at , and earned three poles, with career statistics showing 88 starts, 60 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of approximately 15.2. Earlier in his career, he claimed five victories in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, highlighted by a 2013 championship contention, and two wins. These pre- successes demonstrated early talent on short tracks and ovals, though his progression to full-time competition in 2018 with yielded no wins over 113 starts, averaging a 22.4 finish position. Wallace's Cup Series analytical metrics reflect mid-pack consistency with occasional superspeedway and intermediate-track breakthroughs, as his three victories have occurred on high-chaos venues where drafting and strategy amplify variance over raw speed. Career totals through 288 starts include zero poles, 41 retirements (14.2% DNF rate), and an average starting position of 19.1, with laps led totaling over 500 but concentrated in winning events. His average finish stands at 19.62, placing him below playoff-caliber drivers like those in the top 10 (typically under 15.0), though 2025 marked a personal best with 12 top-10s, four top-5s, and a 12th-place points finish amid improved road-course progression (average finish improving from 30.0 in 2018 to sub-20 in recent years).
MetricCup Series Career (through 2025)
Starts288
Wins3
Top-5 Finishes14 (2025 season high)
Top-10 Finishes60+
Poles0
Average Finish19.62
Average Start19.1
Playoff Appearances2 (2023, 2025 qualifiers)
Wallace has qualified for the playoffs twice, advancing to the Round of 16 in 2023 via a win at , but his metrics indicate reliance on team equipment from and 23XI over individual dominance, with passing efficiency rankings improving post-2021 (e.g., exceeding expectations in long-run segments by 2025). No records for most wins without a pole or similar stand out, but his 2025 Brickyard performance set a personal benchmark for oval consistency at , with three top-5s in five Brickyard starts.

References

  1. https://www.nascar.com/drivers/bubba-wallace/
  2. https://www.23xiracing.com/bubba-wallace
  3. https://www.nascar.com/gallery/bubba-wallace-career-highlights/
  4. https://www.driveraverages.com/nascar/driverwins.php?drv_id=4038
  5. https://www.espn.com/racing/driver/_/id/4534/bubba-wallace
  6. https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/29354447/fbi-says-rope-had-talladega-garage-last-fall-bubba-wallace-not-victim-hate-crime
  7. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2020/06/23/nascar-fbi-talladega-superspeedway-investigation/
  8. https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/06/23/882547906/nascars-bubba-wallace-was-not-the-target-of-a-hate-crime-fbi-says
  9. https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/wallace-william-darrell-bubba-jr/
  10. https://blackpast.org/african-american-history/william-durrell-bubba-wallace-jr-1993/
  11. https://www.gq.com/story/bubba-wallace-lonely-nascar-journey-profile
  12. https://flowracers.com/blog/bubba-wallace-facts/
  13. https://www.autoblog.com/features/bubba-wallace-nascar-trailblazer
  14. https://www.nbcsports.com/nascar/news/xfinity-series-spotlight-darrell-wallace-jr
  15. https://www.onlineathens.com/sports/2012-05-18/wallace-set-nationwide-debut-iowa
  16. https://www.skirtsandscuffs.com/2018/02/fast-facts-redux-darrell-wallace-jr.html
  17. https://www.leidos.com/insights/bubba-wallace-and-changing-face-nascar
  18. https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/who-is-bubba-wallace
  19. https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-who-are-bubba-wallace-s-parents-all-about-darrell-wallace-sr-and-desiree-wallace/
  20. https://www.sportskeeda.com/nascar/what-ethinicity-is-bubba-wallace
  21. https://heavy.com/sports/2018/02/bubba-wallace-parents-dad-darrell-sr-girlfriend/
  22. https://fervogear.com/blog/drivers/bubba-wallace/
  23. https://www.tuko.co.ke/facts-lifehacks/celebrity-biographies/593345-bubba-wallaces-parents-desiree-farrell-influence-racing-career/
  24. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2018/05/13/darrell-wallace-jr-on-his-mom-mothers-day-daytona-500/
  25. https://www.sportscasting.com/news/bubba-wallace-physically-fought-own-father-following-argument-his-mom/
  26. https://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mark-story/article44494755.html
  27. https://fantasynascarracin.yolasite.com/Wallace-Bubba.php
  28. https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/29710697/nascar-chase-find-next-bubba-wallace
  29. https://www.masslive.com/racinwithjason/2010/07/darrell_wallace_jr_wins_nascar_kn_pro_series_east_race_at_lee_usa_speedway.html
  30. https://revracing.net/darrell-wallace-jr/
  31. https://www.masslive.com/racinwithjason/2011/07/darrell_wallace_jr_wins_nascar_kn_pro_series_east_race_at_columbus_ohio_speedway.html
  32. https://speedwaymedia.com/2011/10/01/darrell-wallace-jr-and-max-gresham-duo-winners-at-dover/
  33. https://www.businessinsider.com/bubba-wallace-nascar-career-life-story-2020-7
  34. https://www.knfilters.eu/fr/blog/2011-nascar-kn-pro-series-east-champion-max-gresham/
  35. https://www.masslive.com/racinwithjason/2012/04/darrell_wallace_jr_wins_nascar_kn_pro_series_east_race_at_greenville-pickens_speedway.html
  36. https://wearespeaking.substack.com/p/today-in-black-history-bubba-wallace
  37. https://frcs.pro/nascar/cup/drivers/bubba-wallace
  38. https://www.driveraverages.com/nascar_xfinityseries/driveryear.php?drv_id=4038&yr_id=2012
  39. https://www.jayski.com/2022/03/22/bubba-wallace-driving-xfinity-races-for-joe-gibbs-racing-at-cota-indy-road-course/
  40. https://www.nbcsports.com/nascar/news/2015-xfinity-series-season-in-review-darrell-wallace-jr
  41. https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/xfinity/story/_/page/blackhistory02172015/nascar-darrell-bubba-wallace-jr-ready-next-step
  42. https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/xfinity/story/_/id/15543626/crossDomain
  43. https://fan4racing.com/2016/07/11/darrell-wallace-jr-isnt-satisfied-with-fifth-place-run-at-kentucky-speedway/
  44. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2017/09/14/behind-the-visor-darrell-wallace-jr/
  45. https://www.foxsports.com/nascar/darrell-wallace-jr-driver-results?groupId=3&season=2017&category=standard
  46. https://www.rfkracing.com/roush-fenway-places-two-drivers-in-inaugural-xfinity-series-chase/
  47. https://www.espn.com/racing/standings/_/series/truck/year/2013
  48. https://tobychristie.com/2013-nascar-camping-world-truck-series-rookie-of-the-year-standings/
  49. http://www.espn.com/racing/results/_/series/truck/year/2014
  50. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2651565858259094/posts/24880667431588952/
  51. https://www.jayski.com/truck-series/2014-truck-series-team-chart/
  52. https://www.driveraverages.com/nascar_ncwts/driver.php?drv_id=4038
  53. https://www.jayski.com/truck-series/all-time-truck-race-winners-list/
  54. https://www.driveraverages.com/nascar_truckseries/drivertrack.php?drv_id=4038&trk_id=21
  55. https://racingnews.co/2021/03/29/bristol-dirt-race-results-march-29-2021-nascar-truck-series/
  56. https://www.nascar.com/gallery/at-track-photos-2021-bristol-motor-speedway-dirt-track-weekend/
  57. https://www.driveraverages.com/nascar/driver.php?drv_id=4038
  58. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2017/10/25/darrell-wallace-jr-43-richard-petty-motorsports-2018/
  59. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2019/01/20/nascar-2019-team-preview-richard-petty-motorsports-bubba-wallace/
  60. https://www.espn.com/racing/driver/raceresults/_/id/4534/bubba-wallace
  61. https://motorsportstats.com/driver/darrell-bubba-wallace-jr/summary/series/nascar-cup-series
  62. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2021/01/18/2021-cup-series-season-preview-23xi-racing/
  63. https://kickinthetires.net/nascar/cup/bubba-wallace-scores-best-finish-of-2021-season/
  64. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2021/10/04/results-cup-series-2021-playoffs-talladega-race-recap/
  65. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4195836/2021/10/04/bubba-wallace-earns-first-career-nascar-cup-win-in-rain-shortened-talladega-race/
  66. https://www.driveraverages.com/nascar/driveryear.php?drv_id=4038&yr_id=2021
  67. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2022/09/11/results-cup-series-playoffs-2022-kansas-speedway-race-recap/
  68. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10048626-nascar-at-kansas-2022-results-bubba-wallace-earns-2nd-career-win
  69. http://www.espn.com/racing/driver/raceresults/_/id/4534/bubba-wallace
  70. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2023/08/27/bubba-wallace-clinches-spot-in-nascar-cup-series-playoffs-for-first-time/
  71. https://tobychristie.com/nascar/cup-series/bubba-wallace-gains-confidence-by-advancing-to-round-of-12-in-playoffs/
  72. https://www.23xiracing.com/post/bubba-wallace-2023-season-in-review
  73. https://www.driveraverages.com/nascar/driveryear.php?drv_id=4038&yr_id=2023
  74. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2025/07/28/cup-series-analysis-bubba-wallace-siliences-doubt-wins-brickyard-400/
  75. https://www.driveraverages.com/nascar/driveryear.php?drv_id=4038&yr_id=2024
  76. https://www.foxsports.com/nascar/darrell-wallace-jr-driver-results?groupId=2&season=2024
  77. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2025/07/25/results-cup-series-2025-indianapolis-brickyard-400-race-recap/
  78. https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/45838507/bubba-wallace-wins-brickyard-400-become-first-black-driver-win-indianapolis-motor-speedway-oval
  79. https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/bubba-wallace-wins-brickyard-400-become-indys-first-black-winner
  80. https://www.foxsports.com/nascar/darrell-wallace-jr-driver-results?groupId=2&season=2025
  81. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2020/06/25/nascar-completes-investigation-into-no-43-garage-stall-at-talladega/
  82. https://www.al.com/motorsports/2020/06/timeline-of-how-bubba-wallace-noose-was-found-and-reported.html
  83. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/joint-statement-us-attorney-jay-e-town-and-fbi-special-agent-charge-johnnie-sharp-jr
  84. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2020/06/23/nascar-statement-on-fbi-investigation-at-talladega-superspeedway/
  85. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/24/us/bubba-wallace-response-fbi-hate-crime-investigation
  86. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bubba-wallace-says-relieved-fbi-finding-no-crime-noose-frustrated-n1231968
  87. https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/29364817/nascar-releases-image-noose-found-bubba-wallace-garage-says-concern-was-real
  88. https://neilpaine.substack.com/p/bubba-wallace-is-good-actually
  89. https://www.pilotonline.com/2024/08/09/column-bubba-wallace-has-harsher-critics-than-most-nascar-drivers-the-reason-is-obvious/
  90. https://www.reddit.com/r/NASCAR/comments/1hh78lk/is_bubba_wallace_just_a_mid_driver_seriously/
  91. https://www.essentiallysports.com/flagship-nascar-news-bubba-wallace-is-better-than-ever-so-why-is-the-doubt-still-loud/
  92. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nascar-bubba-wallace-confederate-flag/
  93. https://www.blackbookmotorsport.com/features/bubba-wallace-interview-nascar-23xi-racing-activism-diversity-racism/
  94. https://sports.yahoo.com/article/former-nascar-champion-concerned-bubba-194945076.html
  95. https://thesportsrush.com/nascar-news-nascar-fans-set-the-record-straight-on-bubba-wallace-being-a-victim-of-unwarranted-hate-he-brings-sponsorship-but/
  96. https://apnews.com/article/nascar-pocono-wallace-ef3ae803cf214100e781a639b16fa152
  97. https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-who-else-missed-the-point-livid-fans-tear-into-nascars-head-scratching-bubba-wallace-hype-with-brutal-verdict/
  98. https://www.reddit.com/r/NASCAR/comments/zws89h/what_are_peoples_honest_opinion_on_bubba_wallace/
  99. https://nesn.com/2020/07/nascar-fans-apparently-booed-bubba-wallace-cheered-when-he-wrecked-at-bristol/
  100. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BXiQAOt6TU
  101. https://www.facebook.com/phillycaptainyoutube/videos/bubba-wallace-gets-booed-nascar-pocono-nascarracing-nascarcupseries-bubbawallace/2117194288784783/
  102. https://www.on3.com/pro/news/nascar-insiders-react-to-bubba-wallace-getting-booed-before-brickyard-400-post-race-flip/
  103. https://www.essentiallysports.com/nascar-news-fans-flip-on-bubba-wallace-after-boastful-comment-days-after-earning-their-respect/
  104. https://www.sportskeeda.com/nascar/news-michael-jordan-s-nascar-employee-responds-fan-s-2-dei-hires-comment
  105. https://sports.yahoo.com/bubba-wallace-says-he-encouraged-other-drivers-to-speak-up-amidst-george-floyd-protests-211840335.html
  106. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/08/us/nascar-george-floyd-protest-spt-trnd
  107. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2020/06/09/bubba-wallace-rpm-reveal-black-lives-matter-paint-scheme/
  108. https://www.bet.com/article/recpa1/bubba-wallace-blm-t-shirt
  109. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/19/sports/autoracing/bubba-wallace-nascar-black-lives-matter-confederate-flag.html
  110. https://www.si.com/nascar/video/2020/06/10/bubba-wallace-nascar-black-lives-matter
  111. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2020/06/12/bubba-wallace-picking-up-speed-on-off-track-amid-social-injustice-discussions/
  112. https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/820653530
  113. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/82-0653530
  114. https://fanthem.io/give/nascar/giving-days/nascar-givingday-2023/charities/bubba-wallace-live-to-be-different-foundation
  115. https://www.espn.com/auto/story/_/id/30267160/bubba-wallace-wins-award-honoring-nascar-members-philanthropic-efforts
  116. https://thesportsrush.com/nascar-news-what-is-bubba-wallaces-foundation-how-does-it-help-youngsters-achieve-their-dreams/
  117. https://bold.org/funds/the-bubba-wallace-live-to-be-different-scholarship-fund/
  118. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2021/12/18/bubba-wallace-gives-back-with-foundations-second-annual-toy-drive/
  119. https://corporate.comcast.com/press/releases/bubba-wallace-named-2020-comcast-community-champion-of-the-year
  120. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2020/09/08/urban-outfitters-nascar-richard-petty-motorsports-partner-to-help-bubba-wallaces-foundation/
  121. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/13/sports/bubba-wallace-nascar-confederate-flag.html
  122. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/06/trump-rips-nascar-for-confederate-flag-ban-targets-black-driver-bubba-wallace.html
  123. https://www.tampabay.com/sports/auto-racing/2020/06/11/nascar-tv-ratings-up-big-after-banning-confederate-flag/
  124. https://www.reddit.com/r/NASCAR/comments/mr19wu/what_is_with_the_enormous_negativity_for_bubba/
  125. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/why-nascar-star-bubba-wallace-isnt-making-political-statements-year-after-bashing-trump-2020
  126. https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/bubba-wallace-apologizes-attitude-50k-fine
  127. https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nascar/bubba-wallace-candid-nascar-most-polarizing-driver/
  128. https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-buzz/bubba-wallace-family-all-on-wife-amanda-carter-and-son-becks-hayden-article-118310040
  129. https://people.com/sports/bubba-wallace-marries-amanda-carter-inside-their-new-years-eve-wedding/
  130. https://athlonsports.com/racing/nascar/bubba-wallace-wife-girlfriend-kids-family-baby-amanda-carter-wallace
  131. https://people.com/all-about-amanda-wallace-bubba-wallace-wife-11780170
  132. https://www.23xiracing.com/post/bubba-wallace-and-wife-amanda-welcome-first-baby-together-hes-made-it-all-worth-it
  133. https://www.sportskeeda.com/nascar/news-nascar-fans-express-emotions-bubba-wallace-wife-amanda-announce-second-pregnancy
  134. https://thesportsrush.com/nascar-news-bubba-wallace-details-personal-journey-through-marriage-and-fatherhood/
  135. https://www.eonline.com/news/1421438/bubba-wallace-on-son-becks-being-a-dad
  136. https://www.on3.com/pro/news/bubba-wallace-wife-amanda-announce-second-pregnancy-ahead-of-martinsville-weekend/
  137. https://www.sportscasting.com/news/bubba-wallace-to-be-dad-again-23xi-racing-nascar-cup-series-michael-jordan-denny-ha/
  138. https://www.aol.com/articles/nascar-star-shares-major-family-210000657.html
  139. https://www.foxbusiness.com/sports/nascars-bubba-wallace-lands-another-endorsement-deal-signs-with-kingsford-charcoal
  140. https://www.essentiallysports.com/stories/nascar-news-bubba-wallace-net-worth-23xi-racing-salary-and-endorsement-deals/
  141. https://frontstretch.com/2020/12/14/23xi-reveals-multiple-sponsors-for-bubba-wallace/
  142. https://www.the-sun.com/sport/13281499/nascar-mcdonalds-sponsorship-chicago-bubba-wallace-23xi-racing/
  143. https://sports.yahoo.com/article/coca-cola-announces-decision-bubba-192117192.html
  144. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2024/01/09/23xi-racing-us-air-force-sponsor-bubba-wallace-2024-cup-series/
  145. https://www.leidos.com/bubba
  146. https://www.jayski.com/2025/04/01/robinhood-to-sponsor-bubba-wallace-and-corey-heim-in-select-cup-races/
  147. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v5d2ZPZWCM
  148. https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/video/bubba-wallace-talks-nascar-124843609
  149. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-fGFNXgSxc
  150. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPyeqmarSC4
  151. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpayvllxoO4
  152. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1FzmkKNuBc
  153. https://www.ispot.tv/topic/athlete/OQL/bubba-wallace
  154. https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/darrell-wallace-jr.
  155. https://www.mrn.com/2018/01/01/darrell-wallace-jr-driver-bio/
  156. https://motorsportstats.com/driver/darrell-bubba-wallace-jr/summary/series/nascar-xfinity-series
  157. https://www.driveraverages.com/nascar/driver_avg.php?drv_id=4038
  158. https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/brickyard/history/historical-stats/driver-stats/drivers/bubba-wallace
  159. https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2025/04/03/analysis-breaking-down-bubba-wallaces-big-year-in-the-making/
  160. https://speedwaycollective.com/drivers/driver?driver_id=63
  161. https://www.nbcsports.com/nascar/news/chris-buescher-kurt-busch-matt-mccall-analysis-bubba-wallace-corey-lajoie-among-nascars-most-improved
  162. https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nascar/bubba-wallace-new-career-milestone-cup-season-record/
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
Contribute something
User Avatar
No comments yet.