“Deciding on a driver was easy — it had to be Bubba Wallace,” said Denny Hamlin when revealing Wallace as the newest addition to the 23XI family. And he was a fantastic choice for the role. With over 100 starts up till that moment, Wallace was making waves in the racing community. And the race at Las Vegas in 2020? That was just the cherry on the cake. Hamlin knew he had the right driver in his 23XI car, and so did Michael Jordan, given Wallace being so vocal about diversity.

What should have been a dream partnership hasn’t given the best results. With 2 wins in 3 years with the team and a lack of solid finishes, you start to see where Bubba Wallace’s doubters are coming from. It’s in such moments that Bubba Wallace feels Michael Jordan and Co. know how to bring that confidence back into the driver with the contract renewal.

Bubba Wallace is counting on off-track support to bounce back

Despite a disappointing 2024 season, Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin gave Bubba Wallace a contract extension. Now, with the Cup Series kicking off, one reporter asked Wallace “Does having that security help at all?”

Wallace, ever the honest racer, replied with a candid confession. “For sure, I mean, I think the most important thing is that I want to be competitive and just have a shot at winning each and every weekend, and I have that opportunity now with 23XI, and so when I don’t win, I can look at myself from there and somewhat take blame for it, because all the resources are there, all the people are there, and I didn’t get the job done. I think a lot of the stress came from just looking at our last two seasons, just throw away the numbers, the exact same thing, just fight for last spot.”

36 races of grit, flashes of brilliance, and a nagging sense of what could’ve been left Wallace yearning for more. The win column stayed empty, and he landed 18th in the standings with 878 points. His 15.28 average finish told the story: talent aplenty, but consistency elusive. It was especially disappointing considering the start of the season in the first four races were filled with Top 15 and Top 5 finishes but fizzled out quickly. “Starting out really hot, but Wallace goes quiet for three months,” he vented, “then we got to turn it up in the summer, and it’s been the same story.” 

Now, with a new contract in hand, he can start building again. But it’s not just a contract that’s new in the last few months. Now, fatherhood has shifted the lens for Wallace. “Being a new dad and enjoying the little things at home, that’s always going to be there—not this,” he reflected. Baby Wallace arrived late in 2024 and his effect on Bubba has been clear in the off-season. He seems happier and even more motivated to leave a bright NASCAR legacy for his son.

With Jordan in his corner and a team on the cusp, this could be the season he flips the script. And Wallace does seem ready for it. Right before the season began, he dropped an update on X. “Excited for this season to get underway. Took it upon myself to be better and do better. Got my ass kicked the last 2 seasons, plain and simple.” 

Whether it’s just the new contract, fatherhood, or a renewed sense of purpose for 2025, it seems to be working. Although the DNF at Daytona was discouraging, his win in the Duels was the perfect start to the season. Add to that the qualifying in 14th for Atlanta and you can see Wallace’s renewed mindset coming into play.

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Wallace sympathizes with Daytona debutant

All fans could talk about in the build-up to the Daytona 500 was the OEP, the controversial ruling that left some drivers out and gave others a foot in the door. With names like Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin strongly opposing it, Bubba Wallace looked at a different side of things. He sympathized with a driver who benefitted from OEP but couldn’t make it happen at the Daytona Speedway: Helio Castroneves.

Castroneves’ race was one to forget. He was part of the massive wreck that took out some of the biggest names in the field, and it brought an end to what was shaping up to be an average NASCAR debut. In the midst of this, Wallace felt bad for Castroneves looking bad on the track. He said, “I sat there and I thought about it more, and I felt bad for him. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him, I’m sure he’s a great guy, but I’m pretty sure he probably left that whole weekend feeling like a complete clown.”

There wasn’t too much debate on the matter. Freddie Kraft, his spotter, thought OEP was to blame for it. Fans had been hating on Castroneves because of his two crashes, once from his time in the Duel and then in the race itself. Kraft explained, “Instead of embracing this world-class driver and giving him a spot, just whether or not you agree with it, everybody just was like, ‘This guy sucks.’ He’s still Helio Castroneves, he does not suck!”