Before his first child was born, Bubba Wallace made a pitch that he might think about leaving NASCAR as he starts having kids of his own. “I guess, for the next 10 weeks. And I don’t know. I got 26 days to where – oh people are gonna have a heyday with this – to where racing don’t matter. I’m about to have a kid. So, things are gonna change,” he clarified at the time. But the entire situation has shifted in advance of the 2025 Daytona 500 on February 16. And Bubba Wallace’s first child appears to be his new source of inspiration.

As everyone is aware, Wallace has finished in the top five three times: second in the 2018 Daytona 500, second in the 2022 Daytona 500, and fifth in the 2024 Daytona 500. However, the NASCAR athlete’s performance this year appears to be on a higher plane. According to the most recent X post from Daniel Céspedes, Bubba Wallace has competed in 15 Daytona International Speedway races. Additionally, he has about 33.3% as a 2025 full-time driver at Daytona, which places him in the top five career percentages. For real, he has made a name for himself in super-speedway racing thanks to his clever driving and tenacity.

With the description, “Career Top 5 Percentage at Daytona in Cup,” the X post simply shows the true dominance of Wallace at Daytona. Even though he hasn’t won, it appears that the new source of inspiration could make winning a reality. Why? Well, because this time, he literally intends to have his 3-month-old kid, Becks Hayden Wallace, constantly at the back of his mind.

Wallace has a special knack for always having Becks by his side, even if the 23XI Racing driver only has a few weeks left to spend with his toddler before heading to the races. Every helmet he wears for the 2025 season will have a different design that features a distinctive Becks touch. “Got little man riding with us on all our helmets this year 👣🥹.” The driver wrote on his X.

While it’s common for a new parent to miss their child, Bubba was inspired by his son. And on September 29, 2024, the driver had that thought for the very first time when his son was born. Although Wallace used his son as inspiration, he has since turned into a role model for many in the NASCAR community.

Bubba Wallace as a role model

In NASCAR, where tenacity and perseverance are just as important as speed, Bubba Wallace has emerged as a role model for the next wave. Wallace has solidified his reputation as a symbol of tenacity by conquering obstacles both on and off the track. In the 2024 season, driving for 23XI Racing, he recorded six top-five and 14 top-ten finishes, concluding the season, 18th in the standings. And now, a new generation driver, Riley Herbst, joining 23XI Racing in 2025, is inspired by him. It seems his influence goes way beyond racing.

In an upcoming season that is expected to be extremely competitive, 23XI Racing is growing by acquiring a third vehicle for Herbst under the leadership of co-owners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. Herbst views Wallace as a role model who has cleared the path in the constantly changing NASCAR field.

And Herbst was open about how much he admired Wallace and teammate Tyler Reddick. “You look at Bubba and Tyler. They are a success. They won at the top level of the sport. Tyler has taken it to the next level, the Final 4, and it is pretty cool to watch as a spectator. Hopefully, I can add to that success,” said Herbst. It seems while forging his own route, he hopes to imitate Wallace’s tenacity.

But everyone is focused on the winner of the Daytona 500. Let’s now evaluate whether Bubba Wallace’s dominance is effective.