How Bubba Wallace Came to Grips With Newfound Stardom After Moving to the Cup Series

For Bubba Wallace, the road to stardom in NASCAR was never easy with the spotlight strongly fixed on him. He was the only African-American driver in the Cup Series, and the raw talent he possessed put him under more pressure.

But Wallace delivered. He won Rookie of the Year in 2018, driving for Richard Petty Motorsports, after a rollercoaster of a season in which he had three top-10 and one top-5 finish.

The fame that came with his growth eventually, was huge. In an interview with Frontstretch, after the 2018 season had ended, Wallace explained the clout he received for upgrading himself from the Xfinity Series to the Cup Series. He said, “When people think about NASCAR, they think about Sunday. They think about Earnhardt. And that’s it. Talladega Nights, that’s what they think about.”

“So, when you talk about Trucks and Xfinity, they’re like, ‘What do you mean you race trucks?’ You’ve gotten these questions, too. But once you get to the Cup level, it’s like ‘Oh, that’s cool, that’s badass.'” 

Wallace stayed with Richard Petty Motorsports for two more seasons before moving to 23XI Racing in 2021.

Since then, Wallace has secured three victories, with a 10th place finish in 2023 being the highlight of his career. His performances and consistency have earned him far more popularity than he had during his rookie year.

Wallace’s two-word verdict about the NASCAR-23XI racing settlement

For over a year, Wallace’s team, 23XI Racing, owned by Michael Jordan and fellow NASCAR star Denny Hamlin, had been embroiled in an antitrust lawsuit with NASCAR. During the proceedings, there were serious concerns about how the team’s future might be shaped. At one point, there was even the possibility that Wallace and his teammate, Tyler Reddick, could have been forced to compete as open drivers.

However, a little over a week after the trial began on December 1, NASCAR decided to settle the lawsuit with 23XI Racing, and the storm has finally passed.

Naturally, Wallace must have been relieved by the outcome. While he did not share many public opinions during the course of the year, he wrote on social media that it was a “monumental day” when the settlement was announced.

As part of the agreement, NASCAR reinstated all three of the team’s charters and made them permanent going forward. With the psychological weight of the lawsuit now behind him, Wallace will look to perform at an even higher level in the 2026 season.