Family man Bubba Wallace enjoying ‘cool hobby’ of winning in NASCAR

1,050 days. 100 races. 

That is how lengthy it had been since Bubba Wallace’s final NASCAR Cup Sequence win earlier than he flew beneath the checkered flag and received Sunday’s Brickyard 400. 

However these numbers are moot within the wake of Wallace’s third profession win — one which no one can say he did not earn. 

All the things gave the impression to be working in opposition to Wallace within the waning moments of Sunday’s race. From a poorly-timed warning with six laps to go, a dwindling gas tank and having probably the greatest drivers on the earth in Kyle Larson as his major challenger, it might’ve been comprehensible if Wallace let the win slip away. 

However he did not. 

Wallace beat Larson on two restarts, saved sufficient fuel to do a burnout and was in a position to be part of all of the legends earlier than him which have received at Indy and kissed the bricks. 

Wallace’s feelings have been on full show instantly following the race. Along with his spouse by his facet and his son in his arms, it was clear that this win was particular. It wasn’t one Wallace was going to take as a right. 

All through his profession, Wallace’s feelings have not at all times been the sight of such positivity. There have been moments the place anger, self-doubt, stress and unhappiness have outshone the great. That is simply a part of being an expert race automotive driver in a high-stakes job — however that does not imply it is enjoyable. 

“We’re all human,” Wallace stated in his post-race news conference. “We’re all tremendous onerous on ourselves; you guys know the way onerous I’m on myself. On the identical time, I used to be combating. I am like, ‘f—– proper, we will do that.’ It is just like the angel and satan in your shoulder.”

Maybe the most important distinction between the Wallace that was seen on Sunday and the one which existed three years in the past is that the angel overpowered the satan. 

“It wasn’t all unfavourable,” Wallace stated. “To even have that thought, it is like, ‘Come on, focus.’ That every one went away on the restarts, as a result of it was time to actually focus and get the job finished.” 

Wallace did get the job finished. He is now the winner of one in every of NASCAR’s crown-jewel races, and he is assured a spot within the Cup Sequence playoffs. 

However one other huge distinction between the modern-day Wallace and the Wallace of years previous is those that now stand beside him on race day: his spouse, Amanda, and his son, Becks. 

As Wallace identified on the TNT broadcast following his win, he is already received in life. Now, he is received once more as a Cup Sequence driver. 

“I am a man with a stupendous spouse, a stupendous son, and simply lucky sufficient to be driving race automobiles,” Wallace stated. “Placing household first, that is all that issues. It makes issues simpler. It provides you one thing to concentrate on to. The racing stuff is sort of secondary now. 

“You need to undergo a psychological shift to say that. I bear in mind when Amanda and I first began courting, and I am like, ‘Hey, racing’s every part.’ I knew I made a mistake saying that, and it took me all these years to appreciate, this is not at all times going to be right here. I feel it is higher to benefit from the moments like this. I am having fun with life, I am having fun with being right here on the racetrack. I’ve a very cool f—— job. It is not even a job. Cool pastime.”

Whether or not you need to name it a job or a pastime, Wallace has change into fairly good at driving race automobiles and sharing race weekends with these he loves most. 

On the finish of the day, not even the attract of Gasoline Alley can outshine that.