Surnames can get quite tricky in NASCAR. Over the last 75 years, we have seen drivers with similar surnames who are related by blood and those who are not. A long part of this confusion is the Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace and the 23XI Racing star Bubba Wallace.
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The legend of Rusty Wallace is a story that the racing fandom is only too well aware of. Following his father Russ Wallace into the race track, he became the 1989 Sprint Cup Series champion. Following him, his brothers Mike and Kenny too got behind wheels and ended up being successful race car drivers.
Bubba Wallace, on the other hand, is an icon already despite his young age for one crucial reason. Born Darrell Wallace Jr., the 30-year-old is only the second black driver to win a Cup Series race. Currently driving the #23 car for 23XI Racing, he even qualified for the 2023 playoffs and had a great racing season.
Despite the similarities in racing prowess and last name that Rusty Wallace and Bubba Wallace share, that’s where their commonness ends. Born in towns almost 600 miles apart, the drivers aren’t related to each other by blood. However, that did not stop Rusty’s brother Kenny Wallace from having some fun recently. As he penned down a message thanking his brother on social media, a fan’s affirmation of their brotherhood gave him the chance to bring Bubba Wallace into the mix.
What about @BubbaWallace ?
Where does he fit in? https://t.co/pdwA0yQUNO— Kenny Wallace (@Kenny_Wallace) December 20, 2023
Bubba too enjoys the comparisons brought by fans like Kenny does. He said back in 2018 that he used to wear shirts that read, “Darrell not Waltrip, Wallace not Rusty, Junior, not Earnhardt.”, making his birth name clear to onlookers.
The curious case of surnames in NASCAR
Unrelated drivers with similar surnames are not new in stock car racing. For example, Jimmie Johnson and Junior Johnson cast the fandom into a long-lasting confusion in the late 90s. Jeff Gordon and Robby Gordon were another duo that drove alongside each other on the tracks carrying the same name but no relation.
Another scenario in recent times involves the young drivers, Chandler Smith, Zane Smith, and Sammy Smith. Despite the common potential these three future superstars have, they aren’t related by blood.
Regardless of their names, the skill they display on the track will determine the legacies of these drivers. Let’s hope every future Gordon, Johnson, and Wallace live up to the heights that their predecessors set.
