Bubba Wallace facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bubba Wallace
Wallace at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2025
Born	William Darrell Wallace Jr. (1993-10-08) October 8, 1993 (age 31) Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Achievements	Highest finishing African-American in the Daytona 500 (2nd, 2018 and 2022) 2025 The Duel at Daytona Winner 2017 U.S. Short Track Nationals Super Late Model 100 Winner (inaugural race) First African-American to win in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (Martinsville, 2014)
Awards	2010 K&N Pro Series East Rookie of the Year 2008 UARA-Stars Late Model Series Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Cup Series career
270 races run over 9 years
Car no., team	No. 23 (23XI Racing)
2024 position	18th
Best finish	10th (2023)
First race	2017 Axalta presents the Pocono 400 (Pocono)
Last race	2020 FanShield 500 (Phoenix)
First win	2021 YellaWood 500 (Talladega)
Last win	2022 Hollywood Casino 400 (Kansas)
Wins Top tens Poles 2 52 3
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
88 races run over 7 years
2022 position	105th
Best finish	7th (2015)
First race	2012 Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 (Iowa)
Last race	2022 Pennzoil 150 (Indianapolis G.P.)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 36 2
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
51 races run over 7 years
2023 position	94th
Best finish	3rd (2014)
First race	2013 NextEra Energy Resources 250 (Daytona)
Last race	2023 Tyson 250 (North Wilkesboro)
First win	2013 Kroger 200 (Martinsville)
Last win	2017 LTi Printing 200 (Michigan)
Wins Top tens Poles 6 30 3
Statistics current as of June 8, 2025.

William Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. (born October 8, 1993) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing.

Bubba Wallace was once a young driver in Toyota's program. He raced part-time in the Xfinity Series and full-time in the Camping World Truck Series. Later, he joined Ford's program and raced full-time in the Xfinity Series. He then filled in for an injured driver in the Cup Series for Richard Petty Motorsports. After that, he became a full-time Cup Series driver for the same team.

Wallace has been the only full-time African American driver in NASCAR's top three series (Cup, Xfinity, and Truck) during his time in them.

Racing Career Highlights

Starting Out in Racing

Bubba Wallace began racing at age nine. He competed in Bandolero and Legends car series. He also raced in local late model events. In 2005, he won 35 out of 48 Bandolero Series races. In 2008, he became the youngest driver to win at Franklin County Speedway in Virginia.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series and Diversity

Wallace with a member of the U.S. Army, a sponsor of his East Series car in 2011, at Richmond.

Wallace (No. 18) starting from the pole at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in 2012.

In 2010, Wallace started racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. This is a regional series for developing drivers. He raced for Rev Racing as part of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program. He also became a young driver for Joe Gibbs Racing. He won his very first race in the series at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. This made him the youngest winner ever at that track and in the series' history. He won again later that year at Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire. He finished third in points and won the Rookie of the Year award. He was the first African American to win this award in a NASCAR series. In 2011, Wallace won three more times and finished second in points.

In 2012, Wallace moved to race directly for Joe Gibbs Racing. He won his first race with JGR at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. In 2018, he returned to the K&N East series for one race at Watkins Glen International to get more practice on road courses.

Xfinity Series Races

First Xfinity Races

Wallace made his first start in a national NASCAR series in May 2012. He drove for Joe Gibbs Racing at Iowa Speedway in the Xfinity Series. He stayed in the top ten for most of the race and finished ninth. He had more top-ten finishes in his next two races. In September, he won his first Xfinity Series pole position at Dover International Speedway.

In 2014, Wallace raced two more times in the Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. He finished seventh at Daytona in July.

Full-Time Xfinity Racing

Wallace (right) with the Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2015.

Wallace's No. 6 car at Road America in 2015.

After the 2014 season, Wallace hoped to race full-time in the Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing. However, the team could not find enough sponsors. So, in December 2014, Wallace left JGR to find other opportunities. He then signed with Roush Fenway Racing for the 2015 season. He drove the No. 6 Ford Mustang. He finished 12th at Daytona and had 14 top-ten finishes. He ended the season seventh in the points standings.

Wallace's No. 6 car at Road America in 2016.

In 2016, Wallace finished sixth at Daytona. He achieved his best career finish at the time, third place, at Auto Club Speedway. He later finished second at Dover International Speedway. He made it into the first-ever Xfinity Series playoffs, called the "Chase." He reached the Round of 8 but was eliminated before the final race. He finished 11th overall in points.

Wallace's No. 6 car at Pocono in 2017. This was the last race for the car before the team had to close it due to lack of sponsorship.

In 2017, Wallace had a strong start with five straight sixth-place finishes. But at Bristol, he had a tough race and finished 33rd. At Charlotte, he led some laps but finished 28th after hitting the wall. Even though he was fourth in the points, Roush Fenway Racing had to stop his Xfinity Series team after the Pocono race because they couldn't find enough sponsors. Wallace later raced one more Xfinity race for another team, finishing 10th at Chicagoland Speedway.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

First Truck Series Win

Wallace on pit road at Rockingham in 2013.

In February 2013, Wallace announced he would race a full season in the Camping World Truck Series. He drove the No. 54 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports. On October 26, 2013, Wallace made history. He became the first African-American driver to win a NASCAR national series race since 1963. He won the Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. Before him, only Wendell Scott had won, back in 1963. Wallace finished eighth in points in his first season.

More Truck Series Wins

In 2014, Wallace continued racing full-time in the Truck Series. He won the Drivin' for Linemen 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park in June. Three weeks later, he won the second annual Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway. Wallace then switched to the No. 34 truck for the Kroger 200 at Martinsville to honor Wendell Scott. He led most of the laps and won the race for the second year in a row. Wallace won his last race with Kyle Busch Motorsports at Homestead Miami Speedway. He finished the season third in points with four wins, nine top-five finishes, and 14 top-ten finishes.

Later Truck Series Appearances

Wallace returned to the Truck Series in 2017 at Michigan. He drove the No. 99 truck for MDM Motorsports and won the race. However, his truck was found to have illegal parts, and his crew chief was suspended. In May 2018, Wallace raced again in the Truck Series at Kansas, finishing 14th. In March 2019, he filled in for another driver in two Truck Series races, finishing 10th and 20th. In March 2021, Wallace raced in the Pinty's Dirt Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway's dirt track, finishing 11th.

NASCAR Cup Series

Cup Series Debut

Wallace driving through the garage at his Cup Series debut race at Pocono in June 2017.

On June 5, 2017, Richard Petty Motorsports announced that Wallace would drive their No. 43 Ford. He was filling in for an injured driver. This made Wallace the first African-American to race in the Cup Series since 2006. In his first Cup race at the Pocono 400, he started 16th. He finished 26th. After the race, Wallace felt unwell and needed medical attention. He later said he sometimes passes out when he gets very upset with himself. He finished 11th at Kentucky after being in a crash on the last lap.

First Full-Time Cup Season

Wallace's No. 43 car at Sonoma Raceway in 2018.

After the previous driver left Richard Petty Motorsports, the team owner, Richard Petty, announced Wallace would be the new full-time driver of the No. 43 car in 2018. This made Wallace the first African-American driver to have a full-time Cup ride since Wendell Scott in 1971.

In the 2018 Daytona 500, Wallace finished second, which was the best finish ever for a full-time rookie in that race. He had two more top-ten finishes that year. He finished 28th in the final points standings. In October 2018, Ebony magazine included Wallace in its Power 100 list.

2019 Season

Wallace's No. 43 car during the race at Dover in October 2019.

In 2019, Wallace showed his skill at the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race. He won a stage and finished fifth in the main All-Star Race. At the 2019 Brickyard 400, he had one of his best races, finishing third. He continued to improve his finishes throughout the season.

At the Charlotte Roval, Wallace had an incident with another driver, Alex Bowman. After the race, Wallace splashed water on Bowman's face. NASCAR officials said they would talk to Wallace about it. Wallace later apologized to others who got splashed but said he didn't regret what he did to Bowman. In November 2019, Wallace was fined and lost points for intentionally spinning his car at Texas after a tire problem. He finished 28th in points again.

2020 Season

Wallace after climbing out of his No. 43 car following a crash with Michael McDowell in the All-Star Open.

For 2020, Wallace worked with his former Truck Series crew chief, Jerry Baxter. He finished sixth at Las Vegas, his best finish on a 1.5-mile track. When the season paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was 18th in points.

During the break, he played in a virtual racing league. He made headlines for quitting a race early after a crash. His sponsor, Blue-Emu, then stopped sponsoring his virtual car. Wallace said he gets "burnt out" from practicing for virtual races. He scored more top-ten finishes at Bristol, Indianapolis, and Michigan. He finished fifth at Daytona despite a late crash. On September 10, 2020, Wallace announced he would leave Richard Petty Motorsports at the end of the season. He finished 22nd in the points standings.

2021: First Career Win

Wallace (No. 23) racing alongside Austin Dillon (No. 3) in Bluegreen Vacations Duel #2.

On September 21, 2020, basketball legend Michael Jordan and NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin announced they were starting a new NASCAR team called 23XI Racing. Bubba Wallace was their first driver, in the No. 23 car. He finished second in his qualifying race for the 2021 Daytona 500. In the Daytona 500 itself, he finished 17th after a fiery crash on the last lap. He earned another second-place finish at the August Daytona race.

On October 4, 2021, Wallace achieved his first career Cup Series win at Talladega. The race was shortened because of rain. This win made Wallace the first African-American driver to win a Cup Series race since Wendell Scott in 1963. It was also the first win for a McDonald's-sponsored car since 1994.

2022: Second Career Win and Suspension

Wallace's No. 23 car at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2022.

Wallace continued with 23XI Racing in 2022. He finished second in the 2022 Daytona 500 by a very small margin. At Michigan, Wallace won his first career pole position and finished second. He did not make the playoffs that year. However, in August, Wallace and his crew chief moved to the No. 45 car for the rest of the season to help the team compete for the owner's championship. On September 11, Wallace won his second Cup Series race at Kansas.

At Las Vegas, Wallace was involved in an incident with Kyle Larson. Wallace reacted by hitting Larson's car, causing both to crash. Wallace was suspended for one race because of this. He finished 19th in the drivers' standings for the year.

2023: Making the Playoffs

Wallace's No. 23 car at Dover Motor Speedway in 2023.

Wallace started the 2023 season with a 20th-place finish at the 2023 Daytona 500. He improved his results enough to make the playoffs for the first time in his career. Even though he had five top-five finishes and ten top-ten finishes, 2023 was his first season without a win since his first victory in 2021. Wallace advanced to the Round of 12 in the playoffs but was eliminated after the Charlotte Roval race.

2024: Playoff Challenges and Crew Changes

Wallace’s No. 23 car at Richmond Raceway in 2024.

Wallace had a strong start to 2024 with two fifth-place finishes in the first two races. After a tough race at Las Vegas, he struggled for a few races but then finished fourth at Martinsville. He also had three more top-ten finishes at Texas, Darlington, and Nashville. At the Chicago Street Race on July 7, Wallace was involved in a spin. After the race, he intentionally bumped another driver's car. NASCAR fined him $50,000 for his actions.

Despite some good finishes, Wallace did not make the playoffs in 2024. After the Martinsville playoff race, his team was penalized for race manipulation, and Wallace was fined $100,000. His crew chief was also suspended for the final race. Wallace finished the 2024 season in 18th place overall with no wins but 14 top-ten finishes. In October, 23XI Racing announced that his crew chief would move to a different role, and a new crew chief would join Wallace in 2025.

2025: Current Season Update

Bubba Wallace has not won a NASCAR Cup Series race since September 11, 2022. As of July 13, 2025, his winless streak reached 100 races. He missed the playoffs in 2024 and is currently on the edge of being eliminated from the playoffs in 2025. Even with six top-ten finishes, he has also had six finishes of 28th or worse and more "Did Not Finish" (DNF) results than other drivers near him in points. Wallace has said, "We have expected to win at this point in the season, and we have yet to do that. But it goes back to executing and if we can just do our jobs, there's no one behind us in the points that can beat us. So we'll just continue to do that."

Noose Investigation

On June 21, 2020, a member of Wallace's team told NASCAR that a noose was found in Wallace's garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway. NASCAR leaders told Wallace about it. The organization called it a "terrible" act and said they would work with law enforcement. Wallace said he was "incredibly saddened" by this reminder of how much more society needs to change to fight racism. Before the race the next day, other drivers and crews pushed Wallace's car to the front of pit road to show their support.

The next day, the FBI investigated and found that Wallace was not the victim of a hate crime. The "noose" was a pull-down rope with a loop, which had been in the garage since 2019. Some people criticized Wallace online, but he said he was relieved he wasn't targeted. He also said he wouldn't let the criticism "break" him. He added that no matter when it was tied or who it was for, "somebody tied a noose."

Wallace with U.S. President Donald Trump at the 2020 Daytona 500.

On June 25, 2020, NASCAR showed a photo of the noose. NASCAR leaders explained that they checked all garages at 29 tracks. They found 11 garages with ropes tied in knots, but only Wallace's had a noose. They said Wallace and his team had nothing to do with it. NASCAR also announced they would require training for their staff about understanding different people and avoiding unfair judgments.

Two weeks later, on July 6, 2020, President Donald Trump posted on social media that Wallace should apologize. He called the incident a "hoax" and said it, along with NASCAR's ban on the Confederate flag, caused low TV ratings. However, a Fox Sports executive said that ratings had actually gone up since the season restarted. Wallace received support from other drivers and famous athletes.

Activism and Community Work

Helping Others

Wallace started and runs the Live to be Different Foundation, which helps young people. He also won the Pocono Spirit Award in 2020 for his community work. He received the Comcast Community Champion of the Year award in 2020 as well.

Supporting Black Lives Matter

In May 2020, after the death of George Floyd, Wallace began speaking out against unfair treatment of African Americans. He became a key voice for the Black Lives Matter movement in stock car racing. On June 8, 2020, he asked NASCAR to ban the display of the Confederate battle flag at races. NASCAR had already asked fans not to show the flag since 2015, but many still did. On June 10, 2020, NASCAR officially banned the flag from all its events.

In the 2020 Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 race at Martinsville Speedway, Wallace's car had a special paint design to honor Black Lives Matter. The car showed black and white hands linked together. It also had the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter and the words "Compassion, Love, Understanding." The team owner, Richard Petty, added a peace symbol with hands of all colors. This special design was created because the team couldn't find a main sponsor for that race. Wallace finished 11th, his best Cup Series finish at Martinsville at the time.

Personal Life

Wallace was born in Mobile, Alabama, and grew up in Concord, North Carolina. His mother is Black, and his father is White. His father owns an industrial cleaning company, and his mother is a social worker.

Wallace is best friends with fellow NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney. They first met when they were kids racing Bandoleros.

In 2019, Wallace shared that he has dealt with depression for much of his racing career. Many people thanked him for talking about it, and he realized how common the problem was.

On July 23, 2019, Wallace posted photos of Richard Petty signing his arm. He promised to get Petty's signature tattooed if the photos were shared 43,000 times. The goal was reached quickly. Less than a month later, Wallace got the tattoo on his right thigh.

Wallace married Amanda Carter on December 31, 2022. They got engaged on July 30, 2021. The couple has a son.

Wallace is a Christian. In a 2020 interview, he explained that his criticism of another driver was not an attack on that driver's faith. He said, "I'm a Christian myself. When you go disrespectful, then that shows the character that you are. That's what I was getting at." The damaged front bumper from his car in that incident was auctioned off. It raised over $20,000 for a Christian non-profit organization.

In Media and Entertainment

In 2017, Wallace lent his voice to the character Bubba Wheelhouse in the Pixar movie Cars 3.

Before the 2018 Daytona 500, he was featured in a Facebook Watch series called Behind the Wall: Bubba Wallace.

Wallace and his team co-owner, Denny Hamlin, appeared in the music video for Post Malone's 2021 song "Motley Crew".

In 2021, Wallace took part virtually in the 2021 Pro Bowl event, which was held on Madden NFL 21.

In 2022, he was the main subject of a Netflix docu-series called Race: Bubba Wallace. This six-episode series followed his career during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, including his life off the track and his activism.

Motorsports Career Summary

^† As Wallace was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.

Images for kids

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  Wallace at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2025

See also

In Spanish: Bubba Wallace para niños