When NASCAR announced its inaugural Chicago race in 2023, the decision was met with skepticism from traditionalists who feared the sport was abandoning its roots. Some critics accused NASCAR of trying to emulate Formula 1 and commercialize the sport, while  . Ahead of this weekend’s Chicago race, Wallace made a surprising admission: he had secretly hoped for the worst to happen during last year’s inaugural event. But, as he revealed, 

When NASCAR decided to race in Chicago in 2023 for the first time, not everyone was up for it. Traditionalists feared NASCAR was trying to become something they were not. They accused the officials of being too influenced by F1, trying to commercialize the sport. Others simply weren’t fond of road courses and didn’t want to see the sport venture further in that direction But since then, considerable time has passed and opinions have evolved.

One driver who has had a big change of heart is Bubba Wallace. Ahead of the Chicago race this weekend, he shared details that reveal him secretly wishing for the worst to happen last year in Chicago.

Bubba Wallace wanted the Chicago race to fail!

Bubba Wallace is no stranger to racing, having completed 232 races over eight years. However, road courses have never been his strong suit. His career-best finish came at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2022, so when NASCAR announced the Chicago race, Wallace wasn’t thrilled. In fact, he secretly wished it would fail, and admitted to it recently. Bubba Wallace told Fronstretch, “We just started Sim this week and it was okay. Did not know the best. But uh yeah I think if there’s no rain that’s actually really fun. I’ve told NASCAR I’ve told everybody like going into that last year I wanted it to fail so bad I’m not a road course guy thought it was going to be absolute crapshoot.”

But now he has reversed his statements and feels that the weekend has a “totally different vibe.” Well, NASCAR didn’t get to execute what they had envisioned for Chicago last year because rain washed everything away. But this time, it seems like the rain gods will be kind and the weekend pleasant and lit up with sunshine. As such, everything is going to plan. And that makes a difference for sure. Wallace appreciated the madness and the fun element that the Chicago race weekend brings with it.

He said, “I mean, this is such a hyped-up and amped-up weekend. I mean, looking at last year, I’ve told you guys plenty of times, I wanted it to fail, so we weren’t back here. But Monday, after the race, I was like, man, that was actually really a lot of fun and really cool how things worked out. I mean, just walking over from the hotel, you’re a tourist for a few seconds until you get on the racetrack ground. So it’s just a totally different vibe. So you kind of have to appreciate that to get away from a little bit of the madness.”

Moreover, Bubba Wallace has not only gone back behind his words, but he is also actively participating in NASCAR’s initiatives to spread awareness of the sport in Chicago! 

Wallace reveals the reason Bubba’s Block party was important to him

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Chicago is the home to five teams in the four most popular sports: MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL. And with NASCAR making its early strides in the city in its own way, Bubba Wallace wanted to make the sport more popular in the city. Hence, he hosted an awesome Bubba’s Block party at Douglass Park! And even he wouldn’t have thought the turnover of the crowd would be that much! Hundreds of people, from adults to children, came forward for this fun-filled event.

From clicking pictures with Wallace and a huge humanoid toy of him to watching the pit crew do their thing in action, everyone was mesmerized by the event. It had a motive to pique the interest of those visiting, and it did. Moreover, Wallace had a wider reason for hosting the party. Being from a non-white background, getting into NASCAR was no walk in the park for him. Therefore, he feels himself responsible for the representation of the community in NASCAR. 

He said, “For me, I feel like I carry a responsibility. I am different looking than my competitors. Representation matters. That’s been a hot topic over the last several years now. You’re just able to see a lot of different things and a lot of the same and the likeness that maybe you wouldn’t see yourself in.”

He became one of the only two black drivers to win a Cup Series race when he won at Talladega in 2021. He clearly has come a long way and now has a long and tiresome road ahead. Wallace still hasn’t made it to the playoffs and pressure must be looming large. Do you think he can make it to the playoffs this season? Let us know!