Bubba Wallace drives a Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. While not as fast as it, his favorite daily-use street car is every bit as cool. The driver lifted the covers on his 1967 Volkswagen Beetle in a NASCAR Illustrated interview nearly a decade ago and narrated how he got mixed up with the Beetle mania.
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A fellow driver, Mark Davis, had owned one of the vintage bugs and wanted to sell it to Wallace. But he refused stating that he wanted to get one that was fully restored. A three-hour drive to Asheville, North Carolina fulfilled his needs. In his words, “I found this one probably 2 months after and for cheap. So, I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. It was cool.”
He did have to make some minor additions to the red and black beauty despite the initial predicament. But for what it offered, the work was menial. While some of his friends did not understand why he would spend money on an old and beat-down car, they eventually did and grew to see the car through his eyes.
The Beetle isn’t the only noteworthy vehicle in his personal garage. A 1964 Volkswagen Microbus and a Harley Davidson Road King also decorate it among others. He has shared pictures of these rides on social media over the years showcasing his deep love for driving outside the race track.
Why Wallace does not mind owning a Beetle instead of a muscle car
NASCAR drivers are often considered raw and rustic individuals with hard-as-stone characters. Just to maintain this appearance, many drivers often pick up the keys to giant-sized pickup trucks or fully loaded muscle cars. Wallace, however, could care less about keeping the image up.
When asked what the Beetle said about him, he mentioned, “It’s just fun. It’s fun having vintage cars and showing them off when you can and see what everybody says. Some good, some bad. But as long as I like it’s all good.” He used the example of Joey Logano and the four different cars that he has including a Rat Rod to make his case.
The driver currently finds himself in a pickle, with 23XI Racing in the middle of a legal battle with NASCAR. Chartered cars for 2025 are unconfirmed owing to the same and he might be forced to run as an open entry. He will be hoping to avoid such an outcome and might resort to changing teams if it does come by.
