In 2022, NASCAR driver for 23XI Racing Bubba Wallace is set to have one of the most important seasons of his career. In his second season with the Michael Jordan-Denny Hamlin owned team, Wallace will aim to springboard to the frontline of NASCAR with a strong team around him.

And it is this team, the group of supremely talented and successful people, that makes Wallace credit his struggling years, even more, especially the support of one of his team owners.

In a recent interview, the Talladega winner said, “Having MJ there is super cool, and I’m just very appreciative of it all.”

“You definitely don’t take it for granted. Makes you appreciate those harder years, because you get to enjoy these years right here,” he added.

Bubba Wallace on the thrill of being better

Wallace described how he grew up 15 minutes away from a racetrack, something he didn’t really care about until he was driving at the truck level.

“[All of the sudden] it was like, ‘holy cow, I’m doing this.’ Yeah, we’re doing it,” he said.

“It’s just the thrill of figuring out how to be better,” Wallace continued. “The next thing you know you’re here at the cup level and it’s, like, “Well, dang, I didn’t really have that it in mind, but it just, kinda, all happened. And, you know, for me it was always about making the most of every opportunity.”

Looking forward to his role in his team and in the sport, Bubba Wallace said, “It’s the athlete in me coming out and being like, ‘I want to be better and do better.'”

“And so it takes a lot of hard work for me and my team, but I’m looking forward to it.”

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