Year after year, seeing Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, or Denny Hamlin dominate the leaderboard has almost become expected. However, this season, Bubba Wallace has made strides, outdoing his previous performances. While last year he secured fifth place in the first two races consecutively, this season he has raised the bar, finishing third in back-to-back races at Homestead and Martinsville. Recently, he shared the catalyst behind his heightened success.
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During an interview on CBS Morning, Wallace attributed his on-track achievements to the personal joy of becoming a father, explaining,
“I think coming into this year, we’ve had a lot of good things happen off the racetrack, Baby boy being born – six months old. It’s a nice perspective shift, a mentality shift to where I say this in the most positive way.”
“But nothing else matters anymore besides being a great father, being a great husband, being a great just family man… It took having a kid to realize like there’s so much more to life [than racing].”
According to him, everything else now takes a back seat. Before the birth of his son, racing always took pole position in his life, leading him to miss out on cherished memories and opportunities. This single-minded focus not only caused internal stress but also strained his relationships with those around him.
Wallace comments on how fatherhood has changed his perspective
Tyler Reddick, his teammate, has also observed significant changes in Bubba Wallace since the birth of his son, Becks Hayden. Wallace himself has shared that even his wife, Amanda, was surprised by his newfound tranquility after tough races. On a podcast, Wallace connected his son’s birth to his calmer disposition, explaining,
“It’s just I walk a little bit lighter less stress. I say less stress, but it’s more stress because we’re busier than ever this year. My wife and I just talked about it of how busy we are compared to 5-6 years ago and how we’re making it work.” He praised his wife for being an absolute pillar of strength, managing the stressful times solo.
He noted that the past six months have been tough for her, yet she handles it gracefully, despite having her challenging days. With these personal gains, Wallace finds himself less burdened by professional pressures, which could be a factor in his recent successes.
