At the Talladega Superspeedway, Bubba Wallace snatched his maiden victory. Needless to say, many were happy for him, including team owners Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan. However, not everyone shared the same sentiment about the 23XI Racing driver winning. Some were critical of the circumstances, and others booed the driver.
Speaking about the booing, Jordan said, “This sport needs to change, and it has started the progress of changing. Maybe people are not cheering for him, but he has to dig within himself. You’re fighting from within, you know, to achieve something. When you achieve it, it is far more gratifying than you can even imagine. And it’s inspiring to people that really start to understand what the fight really is about.”
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Michael Jordan was not the only one sharing the sentiment
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In addition to the NBA legend, Denny Hamlin also had some sound advice for his driver. According to him, it is very difficult to change a hater’s mind. Instead, the onus is on Bubba Wallace himself to try and appeal to his supporters and make them proud. Hamlin firmly believes that the haters need to ‘grow up’ and get over themselves. Regardless of the circumstances behind the win, Wallace deserved all the plaudits.
After the Talladega race, Wallace finished 14th at the following race at the Charlotte Roval. Although a sense of normalcy in the status quo has resumed, it is still a decent result for the African-American driver. With this win under his belt, Wallace can only move upwards, especially since the win will boost his confidence.
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Now, the driver will be looking forward to turning in decent performances in the final four races. Beyond that, he is also eagerly awaiting the 2022 season with the new Next Gen cars. Finally, he gets a new teammate in the form of former NASCAR champion, Kurt Busch.
READ MORE: “Grow Up” – Denny Hamlin Hits Back at Bubba Wallace’s Naysayers