NASCAR drivers are always used to pushing their limits at incredible speeds on the track, but their off-track life, which comes with speeding limits, tells a different story. Away from the roar of engines, they cannot even escape the everyday street rules. Sometimes, these moments create lighthearted stories where racing meets reality, and that’s exactly what happened with Bubba Wallace back in the years.

Truthfully, like any athlete, NASCAR drivers are role models. So, something like being in trouble with the law is a point against them. In a recent conversation with Katie Nolan, Wallace confessed to a time when he was pulled over by the traffic police. And the reason he gave turned out to be just as fascinating—and ironic—as the very idea of a professional race car driver getting pulled over for the way he drives.

No shortcuts on the streets for NASCAR stars

On the Casuals with Katie Nolan podcast, Katie Nolan was discussing an iconic scenario of how a conversation would go if a driver gets pulled over for speeding, citing how the driver can joke about being safe with it since it’s their profession. However, Bubba Wallace had an incident like that from his past that he recalled. He said:

“I did get pulled over one time – This was 2012 – for crossing the center lane. There was only left hand turns, so I shorten up distances. I crossed the center lane, yes its very illegal, you can’y cross the double yellow line. Not even in a pinch. I told the cop, ‘Hey man! Sorry , I do that for a living. I got to turn left for a living.’ He was like, ‘Alright, I get that. I’m going to give you a ticket for your 10 though.'”

On the track, cutting across lanes and pushing the limits of speed is part of the sport, but on public roads, those same actions are considered serious violations. His playful excuse of “turning left for a living” shows the humor in the situation, but the officer’s response definitely makes it clear how driving in the real world has no shortcuts, even if you’re a NASCAR driver. However, we could definitely cut some slack in this case for Wallace, who was probably just 18 or 19 when this incident took place.

This incident was similar to the time when the late Ayrton Senna was pulled over for speeding in the UK, back in the 1992 British Grand Prix weekend. In contrast to the speed limit, which was 70 mph, Senna was apparently driving at 125 mph, 55 mph over the limit. The policeman might not have been a Formula One fan as he asked him, “Who do you think you are, Nigel Mansell?”, referring to the British veteran. There are different iterations of what happened next, and in one of them, the policeman ended up taking his autograph before letting him go.

Wallace and his 23XI teammates are facing an uncertain future in NASCAR

The lawsuit between 23XI, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR has been a long-standing story in the motorsport world. So far, both parties have been going back and forth, with no signs of letting up.

As per the latest development, a preliminary injunction hearing is ongoing, scheduled for Thursday, August 28, where both sides will present their set of arguments. NASCAR would insist on proceeding with the charter transfers, so that they don’t have to face any operational problems for the next season, while the teams would want NASCAR to stop doing anything until the trial, as losing charters before the trial would make them suffer in their business.

What’s worse is that whatever the decision is, it would come into effect in the 2026 NASCAR Cup season. If things go sideways, this could strip 23XI and Front Row of their guaranteed race entries, prize money, and long-term sponsorship stability. Without charters, they’d be reduced to open teams with no financial security, making it harder to attract sponsors, retain drivers, and cover operational costs — ultimately putting them at serious risk of going out of business.