Bubba Wallace Concerned of the “Mental Toll” as He Continues With Another Top-5 Finish

It was a sheer display of grit and indomitable spirit in Atlanta. The second race of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway was a concoction of frenzy and competitive juices. With ten cautions and the ensuing wreckage, the carnage not only left the audience at the edge of their seats but also the drivers, like Bubba Wallace. The burden of performance under the strenuous conditions seemed to have taken a mental toll on the 23XI Racing driver.

There is no denying the fact that Bubba Wallace has been vocal when it comes to mental health. The driver has never shied away from speaking his mind and asserting how daunting the world of racing can prove to be. As a result, Wallace, after sustaining the wreckfest in Atlanta, seemed to have created pressure on his mental state, which was evident from his post-race interview at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Bubba Wallace unravels the toll that the caution-filled Atlanta had taken on his mind

A massive car pile-up involving 16 cars is nothing less than a precedent in the history of NASCAR. To add to that, the wreck occurred as early as Lap 2 and tapped in 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace. However, the driver was able to emerge unscathed from the carnage, only sustaining minor damage to his Toyota car. Nevertheless, throughout the remaining laps of the race, the driver was able to dodge the on-track shenanigans and finally end the race with a P5 finish.

Wallace’s finish in Atlanta marks his second after his run at the Daytona 500. However, it was apparent that Michael Jordan’s prodigy was not satisfied with the outcome of the race, especially after the dismaying factors that occurred on the track. Owing to this, the two consecutive superspeedway races and their unnerving conditions seemed to have taken a toll on Wallace. Speaking to the PRN journalists, the 23XI driver added, “Me, 1 [Ross Chastain], 47 [Ricky Stenhouse Jr] we were all lucky dogs and we all finished top-10. Never quit, never give up, so all in all a good day.”

Read More: “What the F*** Is ‘The Roar’?”- Lost Bubba Wallace Oblivious of IMSA’s Baffling Racing Lineup

“Lot to build on and lot to debrief, so yeah it’s fun. The racing was very intense, it’s the mental side. Are we gonna crash, am I making the right move, every corner, every straightaway, every lap, it’s a lot. So I am mentally drained from that. You try to be so cool, calm and collected the whole time and it’s hard to do in these situations.”

Speaking on missing out on the victory by inches and after possessing a fast car, the #23 Toyota driver expressed, “These guys are good, so you don’t want to just get caught sleeping, but our team executed and brought a fast race car. We got unfortunate with damage on lap one. I thought we were fifth with 20 to go and that’s where we ended up. So I wish we could have gave it a legit shot for a win but we will settle in for fifth.” Wallace also stated, “I’m glad we’re done with speedway racing for a while. The mental toll is takes on you, it’s a lot.”

Although sends his congratulatory message to Daniel Suarez

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Amidst these daunting conditions of the race, Atlanta Motor Speedway stood witness to one of the most iconic finishes in NASCAR’s history. The 3-wide finish and winning the race by 0.003 seconds is worth commendable.

Trackhouse Racing driver Daniel Suarez, fought tooth and nail with his fellow drivers and former Cup Series champions Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney to mark a photo-finish victory. The victory comes as a much-needed relief for Suarez after he had found himself in the hot seat after his disappointing run in the 2024 season. 

An elated Suarez expressed to the media in the post-race interview, “It was so damn close, man. It was so damn close. It was good racing. Ryan Blaney there, Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric also was doing a great job giving pushes. In the back straightaway, he didn’t push me because he knew I was going to (screw) his teammate, but, man, what a job. We wrecked (on) Lap 2. The guys did an amazing job fixing this car. I can’t thank everyone enough, Trackhouse Racing, Freeway Insurance, Chevrolet, all the amazing fans here. Let’s go!”

To add cherry on top, Bubba Wallace also sent his wishes to Suarez, by expressing, “Shout out to Daniel, I know he needed that. It’s awesome to see him rise to the occasion and shut some people up.”

Also Read: Daniel Suarez Claims Atlanta Title Win Over Kyle Busch & Ryan Blaney in Ultimate Photofinish

With an early victory in the season, Daniel Suarez has already earned a berth in the playoffs. However, it is to be seen whether the driver is able to tread the same path in the remaining races.