Kenny Wallace has taken a firm stance against the fans who feign animosity towards Bubba Wallace. According to the NASCAR insider, the 23XI Racing driver is highly regarded within the sport, and Wallace has observed this firsthand.
Bubba Wallace is currently in his seventh full-time season in the Cup Series, marking his fourth year with 23XI Racing, the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan. He joined the organization at the 2021 Daytona 500, becoming the inaugural driver for the newly established team. During his tenure with 23XI Racing, Wallace has secured two Cup Series victories—one at Talladega Superspeedway and another at Kansas Speedway. He has also achieved 18 top-5 finishes and 33 top-10 finishes to date.
Despite his success, Wallace has faced criticism and scrutiny from fans on several occasions. One notable instance was his controversial collision with Kyle Larson at the 2022 Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Although Wallace maintained that the incident was unintentional, the perception among fans suggested otherwise.
Kenny Wallace has addressed these misconceptions, pointing out that many individuals who publicly express dislike for Bubba Wallace are merely pretending. According to Kenny Wallace, the reality is that Bubba Wallace enjoys significant popularity among NASCAR fans. He shared his personal observations about Wallace’s popularity, emphasizing that the public’s behavior often belies their true feelings.
“When Bubba Wallace made his appearance, there was a lot of anticipation, and people expected something remarkable. However, as soon as he finished and walked away, everyone rushed to get his autograph. No one left; instead, they gathered around the stage’s corners,” Kenny Wallace explained. “There are plenty of people who act like they dislike Bubba, or who pretend to boo him, simply because they think it’s trendy. But I can tell you from what I’ve seen, the man is well-known and loved.”
Despite his popularity, Wallace has struggled to secure a spot in the playoffs this season. His recent performances have shown some improvement, such as a sixth-place finish at Daytona, but they haven’t been enough to qualify him for the playoffs. His disappointing results at recent races have further complicated his playoff prospects.
Wallace’s performance at Darlington was particularly challenging. Though he started the race from the pole position, he ended up finishing in 16th place. With Harrison Burton winning at Daytona and Chase Briscoe claiming victory at Darlington, two new drivers secured playoff spots, pushing Wallace below the cutline. Meanwhile, his teammate, Tyler Reddick, performed exceptionally well during the regular season and advanced to the playoffs with ease.
In Atlanta, Wallace faced another setback. Starting from 24th place, he struggled throughout the race, finishing in 33rd place in both stages. The race ended in chaos during the final laps, exacerbated by an incident involving Chase Elliott, which left Wallace finishing in 29th place.
Reflecting on his performance, Wallace acknowledged the need for improvement. “All you can ask for is to be competitive, and that’s where we are. It’s challenging, but also exciting, to have the pressure of figuring things out as the weekend progresses. You know your car has the potential to win, so it’s on me to perform better,” Wallace said. “Overall, you just keep moving forward over the next ten weeks and see what you can achieve.”
While Bubba Wallace is not in contention for the championship this year, his teammate Tyler Reddick is currently positioned fourth in the playoffs, highlighting a contrast in their fortunes.
Bubba Wallace’s ‘pretentious’ haters silenced by NASCAR insider’s ‘the man’s famous’ remark.
