This One Change, Bubba Wallace Says, Could Take Him Beyond the Likes of Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney

Neha Dwivedi | 11/09/2025
NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) looks on prior to the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International.

This season has been different for Bubba Wallace since he reached the playoffs on the strength of a win rather than points. And he has kept his foot on the gas after the regular season, too. He finished P6 at Darlington in the playoff opener and P8 at Gateway in the second race.

However, Wallace still is not one of the favorites to go all the way. That status invariably goes to the popular stars on the grid. Before heading to Bristol for the Round of 16 cutoff, Wallace joined Jeff Gluck’s 12 Questions and spoke about a change that he believes could catapult his popularity to new heights.

In his view, such a shift could even elevate him beyond some of the sport’s household names. Wallace pointed to Formula One stars like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, stating that wherever they go, the spotlight follows. NASCAR drivers, he argued, don’t enjoy that same recognition.

Even fan favorites like Chase Elliott or Ryan Blaney may walk unnoticed in many places. For Wallace, the missing ingredient is “star power.”

“I think it’s star power, but I don’t know how to fix the star power. You need an athlete where people want to tune in and watch how that person does,” Wallace said.

“If I could go on a hot streak here and win six out of the last nine… because I’m not tooting my own horn, but if you dropped the three names I just said, myself, Chase, or Ryan, in New York, I’m getting recognized first,” the 23XI Racing driver elaborated on the logic behind his take.

“You have the ability to go beyond our little bubble into the mainstream. Yes, but it takes winning. I have to win to be able to do that, and not just one in every three years,” he added.

In earlier eras, drivers like Dale Earnhardt Sr., Richard Petty, and Jeff Gordon carried that aura. Fans tuned in not only to watch them dominate with their aggressive on-track tactics, but also to see who might dare to topple them.

However, that aura of NASCAR drivers has faded, dulled by the parity introduced with today’s cars and sharpened by the depth of talent across the field.

Post Edited By: Leslie Xavier
Bubba Wallace Chase Elliott Ryan Blaney

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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