A bundle of joy truly transforms your life. Bubba Wallace gave solid evidence of this statement after the 2025 Daytona 500 ended. The race marked his 16th start, and also the fourth time he finished outside the top 15 at the Great American Race. Wallace won the first of two qualifying races for the Daytona 500 and secured a third-place start. However, the Daytona chaos engulfed him and spat him out with a 29th-place result.

Despite his repeated heartbreak at the season-opening race, Bubba Wallace took a different perspective. Unlike all the times in the past when dismay and regret consumed him, Wallace chose to accept his defeat and look ahead. The reason for that may lie in his brand-new fatherhood duties.

Bubba Wallace had a bright smile to show his child

Bubba Wallace’s race failures have got to him several times. When his close friend Ryan Blaney clinched the 2023 Cup Series title, Wallace admittedly felt depressed as he could not clinch a victory. But the tides seem to be changing. Last year on September 29th, Bubba Wallace and his wife Amanda welcomed their son into this world. The little munchkin, called Becks Hayden, accompanied them on their adventures. From a winter wonderland vacation to New York City to the opening races of the NASCAR Cup Series, the little boy has been at their side. Becks may be the reason why Wallace shrugged off his Daytona loss.

During the Daytona 500 race, Bubba Wallace lingered around the front row. In the third stage, he jostled with Austin Cindric for the lead until chaos broke out with eight laps left. Christopher Bell caused a multi-car wreck that involved the No. 23 Toyota, ending Wallace’s chances. He finished 29th and reflected on his loss in a recent ‘Door, Bumper, Clear’ episode. “After last night, I was bummed that obviously we didn’t get the result that we wanted…I think that’s the first mistake, thinking you’re going to win or deserve to win…Just thought that was our best opportunity.”

Bubba Wallace subsequently walked into his pit road trailer, and his wife expected a hung face. “When that didn’t happen, I walked into the bus and Amanda…How long have we been together – 8 years, 9 years? I’ve always told her, ‘Hey, it’s a bad race, let’s just go the car and we’ll talk later.'” However, Amanda was surprised to see Wallace sporting a smile: “So she’s sitting there with the baby, he’s wide awake. I walked in and I’m okay, like, ‘Ah, it is what it is.’ She’s just looking at me…I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m good. We lost…Chill, we’re good…New year, new me.’ We’ll see how long that lasts.” 

Becks Hayden’s presence was paramount, as Bubba Wallace himself admitted. The little munchkin brightened up the ambiance earlier on Victory Lane.

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Experiencing glory with his dad

When a child is born, one feels like sharing one’s achievements with them. Bubba Wallace felt the same surge of emotions when he won his first Duel race. He had finished runner-up in the Daytona 500 twice, in 2018 and 2022, and it seemed like 2025 was finally the answer. Although he could eventually claim his victory, Wallace’s celebration is worth remembering. He sprayed a coke at his No. 23 crew and hugged Denny Hamlin. Last but not least, he lifted his baby into the air like Simba in ‘The Lion King.’ Becks Hayden was wearing noise-canceling headphones and a checkered flag bib and was sucking on a pacifier with a calm face.

Bubba Wallace expected his little boy to get a little scared, but Becks braved through his first Victory Lane experience. Wallace beamed with pride at his son’s demeanor: “He’s just a happy chill baby on both days – the grid for the Duel and the grid for the 500 – he just fell asleep in my arms…Yeah, just awesome. He was good…You would think that with all the camera flashes he would freak out. Maybe he was just overwhelmed, he didn’t know what to do.” Instead of wallowing in his Daytona 500 misfortune, Wallace now has an adorable munchkin to share memories with.

Evidently, Bubba Wallace’s life is changing for the good. We are expecting to see the dad/racer fetch glory soon enough on the racetrack!