As the storm raged in the NASCAR community during the antitrust hearings in 2025, whenever Bubba Wallace or teammate Tyler Reddick faced questions on it, the duo kept tight-lipped and stuck to the same line. Mostly, they had brushed it off, asking the reporters to talk to 23XI owner Denny Hamlin.
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“I would say, for me, when I was asked about it in season last year, I kept saying, I don’t care, I don’t care,” Wallace said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio about the cloud that hung over the garage.
At the time, Wallace had made it clear that his eyes were solely on winning on the tracks. But now that the dust has settled, he has opened up about it.
“I did my hardest to really not care so I could focus on driving,” Wallace said. “And I felt like I did an okay job at that. But it ramped up in the offseason. And so my attention span was all focused on that. And I felt the pressure more. And so finally to see us come out on the other side, and I think for the sport come out in a much better way moving forward.”
Wallace now tips his hat to the people at 23XI Racing, buying into the path they are on. He said he feels proud to work with a group pushing the sport to turn a page.
“So this is a massive win for all of us. And it’ll take some time to figure out where the direction is on that. But it’s been nice not to get asked that question all the time,” Wallace admitted.
.@BubbaWallace on the distractions last year from the lawsuit and how things are better moving forward for everybody in the industry.
“I couldn’t be more honored & proud to work with people like that to push for change in our sport […] this is a massive win for all of us.” pic.twitter.com/RfJjTR3WLv
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) February 14, 2026
With the case behind them, Wallace can speak his mind. Before, he had to walk on eggshells and watch every word. To avoid spilling anything accidentally, he leaned on “I don’t care.” But now the noise has faded, and the road looks clear, and he feels relieved at talking freely.
“It’s nice to be able to talk about freely. We’re always having to watch what we say,” added Wallace.
Bubba Wallace on the stability that having the lawsuit behind them brings to 23XI Racing: @NASCARONFOX https://t.co/OmdEtyVpEf pic.twitter.com/LCOlFd0jyX
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 9, 2026
Meanwhile, Reddick said in a recent chat that nothing really changed within the camp after the settlement. The outcome threw both drivers a lifeline, for sure. Had 23XI lost its antitrust fight with NASCAR, Reddick and Wallace could have lost spots on the grid and faced the possibility of their deals going up in smoke.
Without charters, the No. 23 and No. 45 would have become open entries. They would have had to race their way in each week. If more than 40 cars showed up, one or more could have been left on the outside looking in.
As open teams, they would have taken home less from the purse and a thinner slice of other payouts than charter teams get. This would have cut into paychecks and put the operation on thin ice.
On a larger scale, had the case gone the other way, owner Michael Jordan might have pulled the plug. He had said he would step away if the push for charters fell short. That could have left both drivers without a seat and staring at a fork in the road. It was a tightrope all around, even as they kept a poker face and did not let it spill onto the track.
