NASCAR there is a rich history of athletes from all walks of life getting behind the wheel and breaking the track, but unfortunately, it hasn’t always been easy for some particularly successful racers. NASCAR. For some, there were barriers to entry that took decades to begin to break. Creating an organization for all walks of life through NASCAR took a long time. However, throughout the sport’s story, we have been introduced to such forerunners as Wendell ScottJanet Guthrie, Sara Christian, Daniel Suárez and most recently, Bubba Wallace.
Born William Darrel “Bubba” Wallace Jr. on October 8, 1993, in Mobile, Ala., Bubba’s passion for high-octane entertainment was no accident. From an early age, his father, Darrell Wallace, Sr., introduced young Bubba to the world of racing, taking him around the country to watch racing events.
The racing speed and manoeuvrability of the racers gave him wings to dream of becoming a professional racing driver. At the age of 9, Bubba entered his first race, a Bandolero event for riders aged 8 to 11.
In 2004, NASCAR introduced the Drive for Diversity program in an effort to increase the number of BIPOC and women competitors. This opportunity from NASCAR pushed Bubba forward to prove he could race against the best, and low and behold, he did it. His determination eventually led Bubba Wallace to win two NASCAR K&N races, and at the age of 17, he was named the 2010 NASCAR K&N Rookie of the Year.
Since 2012, Bubba has won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, the NASCAR Gander RV and the Cars Super Late Model Tour series. Despite this success, he is still on a mission to prove himself at the highest level of NASCAR; Series Cup. In 2018, he took a big step towards that goal by taking second place in the 2018 Daytona 500, without a doubt, the most prestigious race in the sport. During the post-race press conference, Bubba hugged his mother in an emotional celebration.
As racial injustice gained global attention in 2020, Wallace used her platform to call for the permanent removal of the Confederate flag from all NASCAR races. He was successful, but this move unfortunately resulted in threats and hatred directed towards him. In an emotional display of solidarity, fellow NASCAR drivers and crew members went behind Bubba in his 43rd place Chevy racing down the pit road ahead of the Geico 500 at Talladega on June 22, 2020.
At the end of 2021, Wallace became his new number 23 Toyota for the 23XI team at Talladega. 23XI is owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin. In a tense, bumpy race, Bubba held the lead for 45 minutes until the rain started to fall, making the track too dangerous to drive. Because of the danger, NASCAR made the decision to end the race early giving the current race leader Bubba Wallace the victory.
This victory put Wallace Square in the history books as the only black American driver to win the NASCAR Cup Series since the legendary Wendell Scott did the same nearly 60 years ago. We suspect that Bubba is just getting started and we look forward to seeing his career flourish and his legend grow. He got off to a good start in the 2022 season with a second place at the Daytona 500, just enough behind the winner.
Recently, a 6-part documentary about the driver’s life was released on Netflix. The show will tell the story of his life and his rise to the NASCAR elite levels as the current only full-time black driver. Here’s the trailer for Race: Bubba Wallace.
