NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace is celebrating a strong showing at the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, and says he’s feeling good heading into the next stretch of the season.
Wallace, who races the No. 23 car for 23XI Racing, the team co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and driver Denny Hamlin, joined “CBS Mornings” on Monday to talk about the momentum he’s building and the changes in his life on and off the track.
Importance of “being a great family man”
Wallace said becoming a father six months ago to son Beckett has shifted his mindset in a powerful way.
“Nothing else matters anymore, besides being a great father, being a great husband, being a great family man,” Wallace said. “Prior to that, it was always racing first, and I’ve missed out on a lot of good memories and opportunities by putting that first and causing a lot of stress from within or the people surrounding me … It took having a kid to realize there’s so much more to life.”
He credited his wife, Amanda, with holding things together at home while he balances a busy race schedule and sponsorship obligations.
“My wife is the absolute trooper,” Wallace said. “The six months have been nothing short of craziness for her … I don’t see all that she has to deal with, and so more power to the mothers.”
When asked what scares him, the fearless driver admitted it’s not high speeds or even the idea of space travel — it’s spiders and the dark.
“Now with our son, we sleep with the door open that has our light on down in the hallway, so you get a little bit,” he said with a laugh.
The excitement of racing
Wallace may seem confident, he admitted that even top athletes battle self-doubt and nerves.
“The last couple weeks, I’ve gotten the blues—nervous through practice, qualifying, even in the race. I don’t know why, but we finished third the last two weeks,” Wallace said. “So hopefully, they keep coming, because it’s been working.”
Wallace has been with 23XI Racing since its debut in 2021, and has become a cornerstone of the team. He said racing still excites him every time he gets behind the wheel, despite the grind of a long NASCAR season.
“With the demands that our sport provides and the requests that it wants from you, you have to find a little joy in it,” he said. “These seasons are long. Our first off weekend is coming up here in two weeks. Our first and only off weekend.”
At Martinsville, Wallace said his car topped out at about 110 miles per hour — a speed that may feel routine for professional drivers but is anything but ordinary.
“Traffic here is just like what we experience every Sunday,” he joked about New York. “Just in and out of traffic. But we don’t have horns, though.”
Wallace also talked about staying in regular contact with Jordan, who remains deeply involved with the team.
“We talk multiple times throughout the week, and definitely, there’s a text before and definitely after a race,” he said. “He’s watching. Good or bad, win, lose, or draw, he’s always watching.”
