23XI Racing star Bubba Wallace met country music sensation Luke Combs before the start of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway. The two were hanging out in the in-field pre-race, and Wallace was even seen gifting Combs a fire suit. But more than the insane crossover (which has now happened for two consecutive years), it was the gift that got more attention from the NASCAR world.

Bubba Wallace and Combs briefly chatted as the driver presented the singer with the fire suit. They posed for pictures before Wallace headed back to his race car. Combs, partnering with Columbia Records, designed a cool-looking paint scheme that will feature on the #23 Toyota Camry. Truth be told, the design did come out pretty well, and it certainly caught the eyes of the fans on the racetrack in Music City.

Luke Combs shot to fame with his single, Hurricane, back in 2015 and is now one of the biggest stars in the Nashville region. Thanks to his series of hit albums and EPs backed by nationwide tours, he is reportedly worth $20 million. Apart from this contribution, Luke Combs also drove the pace car, kickstarting the Ally 400 race at the 1.3-mile race track.

Speaking about Combs’ visit to the Nashville Superspeedway, the track’s general manager, Matt Greci, said, “A show with this much horsepower deserves plenty of star power too. We’re going to give Luke a fast car and see if he’s fast enough to drive away from the field of NASCAR’s best as we kick off Sunday’s showdown.” While this year’s collaboration between the two North Carolina natives happened at the Ally 400, Bubba Wallace’s #23 Toyota Camry sported a Luke Combs-inspired scheme at the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at the Daytona International Speedway.

Fans react to Bubba Wallace’s “marshmallow suit” gift to Luke Combs

NASCAR fans are always up for a good laugh and some banter, and that is exactly what happened after Luke Combs received the specially-made suit. Making fun of the oversized suit, a fan wrote, “Damn Luke, they did you dirty with that marshmallow suit.” Now, it’s not common knowledge how loose or tight fire suits are when not in use. However, it was clear that the one that Luke received was not of a regular fit, or at least not what the drivers would wear during the races. “Nah, this is body shaming. I’m dead,” wrote another fan.

Trolling the design and fitting of the gift, another fan chimed in with their comments: “@lukecombs, you and your whole family could fit in that thing.” Married to his wife, Nicole Hocking, since 2020, they’re parents of two boys – 2-year-old Tex and 10-month-old Beau. Speaking of his family, the country singer released a new album called Fathers & Sons on June 14, and he dedicated the first single to his sons.

Through the song, while he vowed to be the best dad he could be, he was also realistic about the challenges of fatherhood and how everything might now be perfect all the time. When Beau was born in August 2023, Combs was on tour in Australia, and because of this, he missed his birth. Calling it “the best and the worst day” of his life, the country singer got very emotional, adding another layer of depth to his new album.

Coming back to his Nashville Superspeedway appearance. Fans are always on the lookout to grab race-related stuff for their collections. Be it caps, hoodies, diecasts, and more. Impressed by the unique fire suit, a fan inquired if they had an extra pair, as he wanted one for himself, “I need this fit. If u have a spare, I want plz.”

Shutting down all the noise and trolling regarding the size of the fire suit, this fan had a rather interesting theory: “All firesuits appear big until you actually put it on.” Well, this also prompted some fans to throw a jibe at Bubba Wallace, referring to his poor run of performances in 2024 so far. “It’s too bad he had to be given it by Bubba and not a decent driver.”

The 23XI driver hasn’t had the best of seasons this year. In 19 starts, Wallace has only managed 3 top-5s and 6 top-10s. His best finish in a points-paying race came during the Cook Out 400 (4th place) at the Martinsville Speedway. It will be interesting to see how well Bubba Wallace and the #23 team perform today at the Nashville Superspeedway. Remember, he is one of the drivers right on the bubble to drop out of the 16 drivers making it to the playoffs.

Update: It looks like Luke Combs’ wishes worked in Wallace’s favor at the Nashville Superspeedway because the 30-year-old finished in P7. After the race, he posted a picture with Luke Combs and wrote, “A much-needed P7 in Nashville. Always looking for more, but glad to get this @lukecombs x @columbia1938 car a top-10 finish.”