Bubba Pollard, a legend in the Late Model racing scene, made a splash in his Xfinity debut last weekend, showing everyone how it’s done by rocketing from 37th to 6th place. This guy’s skills on the track come from grit and a down-to-earth start, far from the usual NASCAR flash and dazzle. It’s probably why, despite his mad skills, some hardcore racing fans might not even recognize his name. He’s not one to grab headlines or be plastered all over the place with hype. And that’s the real talk he brought to the table when he caught up with Dale Earnhardt Jr on his podcast.

Bubba Pollard reveals the harsh reality of NASCAR’s expensive outlook

NASCAR is an expensive sport. The price tag on the sport isn’t small potatoes, from scooping up sponsorships to getting your hands on a next-gen car, these are the big-ticket items anyone needs to keep a team on the track. The hefty bill is the very reason Dale Earnhardt Jr’s crew at JR Motorsports hasn’t jumped up to the Cup series yet.

But it’s not just that. Often, top-notch drivers get overlooked because they’re just regular folks without a hype machine behind them. Bubba Pollard knows this all too well. Despite being a legend on the short tracks with wins at the All-American 400, Rattler 250, and World Crown 300, and winning the 2014 Southern Super Series championship under his belt, he’s been flying under the radar—no big teams or sponsors knocking on his door.

In a heart-to-heart with Dale Earnhardt Jr, when asked about any opportunities that came his way from JR Motorsports or during his days racing Late Models, Pollard’s response was pretty telling, “Nothing! I have not gotten a single call. You were the first call that’s ever called me uh to do the late Model stock yeah I’ve got nothing. Some super late Mall guys here and there drive your stuff as far as the next level in the top or yeah three tiers of racing I’ve never calls.”

It’s a real bummer to know that a top-notch short-track racer like Bubba Pollard didn’t get any big opportunities. Even Dale Earnhardt Jr was stunned for a moment as evident from his remarks: “No truck team? No sponsor called? Hey man if we can get this deal together? […] That’s astonishing that somebody is celebrated as you in pavement short track racing.”

He shared some insights into why that might be. Pollard’s always been the kind of guy who wanted to be accepted as is, without having to change himself or chase people down for a chance. He reckons part of the reason he was overlooked was because he wasn’t fitting into the “Pretty Boy” vibe the sport was going for at the time. He’s a bit more rough around the edges, and it seems the timing just wasn’t in his favor.

Some folks told him maybe he didn’t push hard enough, but that’s just not his style. He admitted that he wasn’t about to start begging for opportunities. He also touched on how NASCAR seems to have drifted away from its blue-collar roots, turning into a sport with a pretty hefty price tag, and he’s stayed true to those grassroots. That might be another reason he didn’t make it onto the radar for some of the teams.

The short-track ace has always stuck true to his roots

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Despite being a top-tier racer, he never made the leap to ARCA or NASCAR because the cash just wasn’t there. He’s always carried a sense of pride in his working-class roots and straightforward racing efforts. Things took a bit of a turn when he got the chance to race in the Xfinity series thanks to Dale Earnhardt Jr, but Bubba Pollard made it clear that the glitzy side of NASCAR isn’t really his scene. He’s pretty vocal about thinking NASCAR’s gotten a bit too high and mighty.

Additionally, they talked about how asphalt racing seems to have drifted away from being something everyone can enjoy. Pollard jumped in to say that’s exactly his point: dirt racing and being a fan in the stands should be accessible to the average Joe. He feels asphalt racing has kind of lost touch because of its hefty price tag. It bugs him that NASCAR seems to have forgotten its roots.

Late Model Legend Bubba Pollard to Drive for Dale Jr’s NASCAR Team at Richmond Raceway

Bubba Pollard believes NASCAR could do a better job welcoming average, hard-working folks back into the fold, making the sport more inclusive for the middle class. Now at 37, his NASCAR debut might have come later than usual under Dale Jr’s wing, but he’s not sweating it. He’s just doing his thing, staying grounded in what he believes.