“I Wish NASCAR Was Like This”: Bubba Wallace Pitches Controversial Change Fans Will Hate

The rigors of NASCAR are well-documented. Apart from being very tough on the body, its hectic schedule takes a big toll on the mental health of drivers. Fans might enjoy it, but drivers? Not so much. Bubba Wallace, for one, isn’t the biggest fan of it.

Speaking on The QC Hornets’ Nest podcast, Wallace commented on NASCAR’s hectic schedule. He said, “The schedule’s busy [why it was the first game he had come to watch in person]. It’s tough. It’s a fun atmosphere. There are a lot of things when I come down here, I’m like, ‘Man, gotta wish NASCAR was like this.’

“You’re in and out, right? You’re not there for 4 hours. I found myself sitting in the stands and I looked up, and I’m like ‘We’re already third quarter. When it’s half-time, at that time frame we’d be 20 laps into a race.’ I’m a fan of shortening up our races but it is what it is.”

The visit was possibly an extension of the crossover collaboration 23XI Racing and the Charlotte Hornets have been doing over the last few weeks. Both teams are owned by Michael Jordan, and in the run-up to the 2023 NASCAR season, they have been churning out content for fans.

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NASCAR fans are never really warm to changes like these. With Wallace suggesting the change, it only makes it more difficult for those fans to digest.

Expectations from Bubba Wallace in 2023

Wallace finished the 2022 season in his career-best position, i.e. 19th. But that isn’t something he or the team would want for 2023. They will be aiming for higher—and that’s what Denny Hamlin said too.

In a clip released by Dirty Mo Media on Instagram, Hamlin said, “I mean certainly, we expect him to make the playoffs. You know, Bubba did such a great job for, I mean, finished top 10 and points for us racing in the playoffs. Although, not many people know that the 45 car with Bubba driving it finished 10th in points last year, in that playoff run. So he did a great job…”

Hamlin has great expectations for his driver, and said “Then Bubba, just what he’s done over the last half of the year, was just… He’s exceeded my expectations of his talent level. Like he started to perform where I thought he was. And then he started exceeding it. And I’m like wow he’s really, really doing well.”

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It could end up being the most important season for Wallace—possibly one that makes or breaks his career in NASCAR.