In November 2023, the NASCAR world celebrated a new champion. Ryan Blaney reached the sport’s pinnacle, winning his first Cup Series title. The moment was electric for fans and historic for Team Penske. But for one man watching from home, it cut deep. Bubba Wallace, Blaney’s best friend, wasn’t there to pop champagne or hug it out. Instead, he was on a flight back home, alone with his thoughts. Wallace had finished 10th in the standings, a career best, but all he could feel was emptiness.

“Sitting on the couch questioning everything,” he later admitted. That moment, raw and revealing, was the emotional climax of his season. Blaney later called him, and Wallace didn’t hide his feelings. “I guess you winning the championship sent me into depression, damn,” he said. Even though they were close friends, Wallace couldn’t help but feel the sting of being left behind. Blaney, understanding the burden of expectations, reassured him.

“Man, you did great. Tenth in points, you made a good run in the playoffs,” Blaney told him. But for Wallace, that wasn’t enough. He wanted more. But fast-forward to May 2025, and things have shifted for Wallace. He’s talking differently after a year and a half removed from that crushing moment. Wallace still feels the weight of expectation, but he carries it differently. He’s not numb to setbacks, he’s growing through them. And that growth is beginning to shape not just his mindset but the direction of 23XI Racing.

Bubba Wallace found light after disastrous Texas outing!

Texas Motor Speedway was supposed to be another strong weekend for Bubba Wallace. Instead, it turned into a mess. Wallace was running well inside the top 10 when everything unravelled. While chasing Carson Hocevar, he misjudged the line, slammed the wall, and triggered a multi-car crash. Noah Gragson and AJ Allmendinger got caught in the wreck, too. Wallace’s day was over. A promising run turned into a 33rd-place finish.

In past years, that kind of failure would’ve left Wallace angry, silent, or both. But this time, something unexpected happened. As Wallace returned to the hauler, his crew chief, Charles Denike, handed him a list, not of mistakes, but of positives. “Just as frustrated as I’ve ever been, because I felt like I caused that and put our team behind after having a really good day. But I got out of the car, and Charles gave me a laundry list of all the positive things we accomplished from the start of the week all the way up to Sunday… and it’s like, damn, there is a lot more positives than this one negative. I appreciated that aspect,” he admitted.

He still gave his trademark sarcastic post-race interview, but deep down, something was different as he wasn’t mad. He just shrugged and looked ahead: “Well, that sucked. Let’s move on to Kansas.” Wallace’s results this year prove he’s not just talking. In 2025, he’s been consistently stronger than he was in 2024. After a 29th-place finish at Daytona, he rebounded with a top 10 in Atlanta and strong runs at Martinsville and Homestead.

His average finish is higher than 2024, and he’s avoiding the emotional crashes that used to derail his weekends. Even his wife, Amanda, noticed. After the Daytona 500, he surprised her by smiling. “Hey, I’m good. We lost… Chill, we’re good… New year, new me,” he told her. That emotional change has roots deeper than just racing. Fatherhood has reshaped Wallace’s priorities. “It’s crazy how you have to compartmentalize things,” he explained earlier this year while going away from the media to take a call from Amanda about their baby.

Even his teammate, Tyler Reddick, has noticed the change. “I think he’s got a good approach right now and am excited to see how he continues to grow and change at being a dad and how that affects racing for him. He seems like he’s in a good place right now,” Reddick said. Each result no longer consumes Wallace. He’s racing smarter. With stage wins and some consistent speed, he is well above the cutline, placed 8th in the points standings. This includes his two top five results at Homestead and Martinsville, so the No. 23 Toyota isn’t lacking the speed; all they need to do is execute on the racetrack.

The 1.5-mile tracks have been tough on him since. He’s hoping Kansas will break that drought. “I have the confidence in myself and our team that we can do what we need to do to win races,” Wallace said. With Kansas around the corner, the timing feels right for a breakthrough. But as Ryan Blaney recently revealed, Wallace’s intense focus, the same fire that fuels him, might also be part of his biggest challenge. It’s what Blaney calls Bubba’s “recipe for disaster.”

Trending

1

“Love You”: Joe Gibbs Grandson in Mourning as Closest Friend of Years Passes Away

2

Kyle Busch Snags a Nearly $2 Billion Sponsor as RCR Prepares for Damage Control

3

NASCAR Veteran Gets Emotional as He Reveals Poignant Dale Earnhardt Sr. Memory That Forged Their Friendship

4

NASCAR Fans Shower Love as Denny Hamlin and Family Reveal Gender of Their New Addition

5

Rodney Childers Announces New Career With Kevin Harvick, Making a Hard Steal Out of Spire’s Biggest Loss

Ryan Blaney breaks down Bubba Wallace’s biggest challenge!

There’s a fine line between pushing for greatness and pushing too far. Ryan Blaney, the reigning Cup champion and Wallace’s closest friend, recently opened up about that line and how Wallace walks it. The setting was a conversation about the Chicago Street Race, but the theme was much broader. Wallace once called the street course “a whole recipe for disaster.” It was more than just track talk. It was a glimpse into how drivers, especially someone like Wallace, operate on mental overload.

Blaney echoed the sentiment. “Don’t knock down a wall,” he said with a laugh, speaking of how street racing demands precision down to the inch. “You’re judging inches at a time… How close can I get without touching the wall because then your day is ruined, right?” The metaphor applied perfectly to Wallace, who has often pushed himself mentally and emotionally right to the limit. Blaney, who knows Wallace better than most, explained that the very mindset that drives Wallace can also be what derails him.

“It’s just a risk-reward type deal. Maximizing speed is getting as close to the wall with as much speed as you can, but the risk is big. You get in there too hot, and you’re gone… That’s what makes it exciting but hard,” Blaney said. It’s what makes Wallace exciting but complicated. Yet, what’s heartening now is that Wallace seems to be finding that balance. As the Chicago race looms in a few weeks, Wallace will return to one of the toughest challenges in NASCAR. But this time, he’s not just armed with speed. He’s bringing wisdom, experience, and maybe most importantly, peace.