Talladega holds special memories for Bubba Wallace. Going back to the famed 2.6-mile-long superspeedway, the 23XI Racing regular would love to relive what happened back in 2021. That year, during the YellaWood 500, the #23 Toyota driver became only the second African-American to win a NASCAR Cup Series race.
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There were doubts about the legitimacy of that win but reigning champion Ryan Blaney believes that it was well deserved. Blaney and Wallace have been friends since childhood. They grew up racing together and their bond is as strong as ever. When the latter won at Talladega in 2021, the Team Penske star was one of the first people he celebrated with.
Wallace was in the lead when the final caution fell but rain had lashed down immediately afterward and he was declared the winner of the event. What a lot of people tend to forget is that Wallace came from way back in the pack on the restart before to get himself right at the front.
“You know people say, ‘Oh it was a rain out, it doesn’t really count.’ Like hey listen, he and I both restarted in the back, like the restart before, and he drove to the front and made the moves that were the best moves to get him to the lead and I was stuck back in 20th. He did everything right to get himself to the spot and he definitely deserved it,” opined Blaney.
Bubba Wallace silenced the doubters with his win at Kansas two years ago. 🤫 pic.twitter.com/rOG58INyQe
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 27, 2024
Friend or otherwise, that is high praise coming from a NASCAR Cup Series champion. Wallace has had his issues with mental health as well which might have affected his racing in the past. However, the Mobile, Alabama native has become a lot more consistent of late which is always a positive for a driver looking to become a serial challenger for wins.
Looking ahead to the upcoming Talladega race
Not challenging in the playoffs this season is not such a bad thing for the driver of the #23. There is no pressure on his shoulders and at a place like Talladega, anything can happen.
It has not been great going for Wallace since that day in terms of race wins but he hopes to become a regular challenger soon enough. With only one subsequent win after his win at Talladega, the 23XI Racing driver has shown consistency in his performances over the last two years.
With a good car under him now, it is surely just a matter of time before he overcomes his challenges and becomes a race-winner in NASCAR again. It remains to be seen if that breakthrough is yet to come at the venue where he bagged his first Cup Series win.
