Over the years, Bubba Wallace has become arguably the most scrutinized driver in NASCAR and has faced a lot of criticism for matters beyond his control. Again, as the sport is actively seeking to tap into new audiences, like with this weekend’s first-ever street course race at Chicago, the spotlight turns to Wallace. The 23XI Racing driver is confronted with the challenge of altering these negative perceptions among the nascent fan base.
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During a recent interview, he explained how there would always be skeptics when trying to do something new and different, such as reaching out to a new demographic.
Bubba Wallace encourages people to accept sport’s outreach to new audiences
Ahead of the race weekend at the Windy City, Wallace was asked about how new audiences might perceive him, considering the narrative that he’s NASCAR’s least popular driver. How would he, as the 23XI Racing driver, justify this notion to the new fans?
Wallace stated, “I’ve always said there’s three types of people: the ones that will accept change, the ones that are on the fence about change, and the ones that will never change. You can never get to the minds of the people that will never change, so we don’t really focus our energy on those people.”
He added, “We try to convince the ones that are on the fence about change: ‘This is what can happen. Stick with us, and let’s ride it out to the end.’ And the ones that are OK with living life on the edge and accepting change right away, let’s do it…
“Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t like changes that we’re doing as a sport to tap into different demographics and make the sport more welcoming and inclusive, and that’s on them. They have to live with that. For us, we continue to march forward.”
Bubba Wallace throws Block Party to bring NASCAR to a new audience
As NASCAR gears up for its inaugural Street Course Race in Chicago this weekend, it also aims to reach out to a segment of the population previously untouched by the sport. Events like Bubba’s Block Party are pivotal in bridging the gap between NASCAR and a younger, intrigued audience.
Bubba’s Block Party Chicago was a huge success! Big thanks to Lupe Fiasco, all the partners, and @NASCAR for getting this done. This is just one of the ways we’re working to bring new faces to this sport🤘🏾 pic.twitter.com/wTHVoywuqF
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 29, 2023
Wallace organized a free event in Washington Park. Now in its second year, this block party aims to extend the sport’s allure to potentially overlooked spectators. Also, adding a splash of local flavor to the party, Chicago-born rapper Lupe Fiasco performed at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center.
People got a taste of the NASCAR experience, watching Wallace’s pit crew in action changing tires. Meanwhile, some fans even got the opportunity to take the driver’s seat in a NASCAR race simulator.
