Who Is Bubba Wallace?

Darrell Bubba Wallace Jr. was born on October 8, 1993, in Huntsville, Alabama. He grew up racing go-karts and progressed rapidly through NASCAR's regional and national feeder series, building a reputation as one of the most talented young drivers in American motorsport before reaching the sport's top tier.

Wallace made history when he became the first Black driver to compete full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series since Wendell Scott raced regularly in the early 1970s. He entered the Cup Series full-time in 2018 with Richard Petty Motorsports, driving the iconic #43 car — the same number Scott had piloted decades earlier, making the connection between their stories an intentional statement.

Beyond his race results, Wallace has become a prominent voice on racial equality and social justice inside NASCAR. In 2020, he successfully advocated for NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag from its events. That decision drew national attention and established him as one of the most significant figures in the sport's modern history, both on and off the track.

Wallace's NASCAR Career Highlights

Wallace's path to Cup Series success was built through years in NASCAR's lower divisions. He won the 2010 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship, then worked his way up through the Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series, accumulating race wins and seat time at tracks across the country before his Cup Series debut.

During his years at Richard Petty Motorsports (2018 to 2020), Wallace showed consistent speed despite racing equipment that was often underfunded compared to the top teams. His second-place finish at the 2018 Daytona 500 — in just his first Cup Series start as a full-time driver — demonstrated he had the ability to compete with the sport's best when the moment called for it.

The defining moment of his career came on October 4, 2021, at Talladega Superspeedway. In the YellaWood 500, Wallace was running at the front when rain halted the event. Because the race had passed the halfway threshold, it was called official under NASCAR rules, and Wallace took his first Cup Series win. He became the first Black driver to win at that level since Wendell Scott's victory in 1963.

Since joining 23XI Racing, Wallace has continued building consistency, posting multiple top-10 finishes per season and expanding his fan base as the team grows its sponsorship portfolio and on-track program.

23XI Racing: The Team Behind Wallace

23XI Racing — pronounced twenty-three eleven — was co-founded by NBA icon Michael Jordan and NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin for the 2021 Cup Series season. The team name combines Jordan's famous #23 jersey number with Hamlin's own car number, #11, linking the two owners directly in the brand.

Wallace was the team's founding driver, piloting the #23 Toyota Camry. The team operates under a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, giving it access to Toyota's engineering resources, shared data, and the same engine supply used by one of NASCAR's most successful organizations. That alliance matters enormously in Cup Series competition, where tenths of a second in setup can separate a top-five finish from a 15th-place result.

The team has grown steadily since its first year. A second entry was added in 2022 (#45), driven initially by Kurt Busch and later by Tyler Reddick after Busch stepped back from racing due to a concussion injury. The expansion reflects Michael Jordan's stated commitment to building a championship-caliber organization over the long term, not simply filling a grid spot.

To follow the team directly, visit 23xiracing.com for the latest news, driver updates, and official merchandise.

Where to Watch Bubba Wallace Race in 2026

Under NASCAR's current broadcast agreement running through 2031, Cup Series races are split across several networks and streaming services. Here is how the schedule breaks down for 2026:

• FOX and FS1: Carry the early portion of the season, including the Daytona 500 on FOX. Both channels are available on cable, satellite, and live-TV streaming services such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and DirecTV Stream.
• Amazon Prime Video: Streams a package of mid-season Cup Series races exclusively online. A Prime membership is the only requirement — the races are included at no extra cost beyond the standard subscription fee.
• TNT Sports and Max: TNT broadcasts a block of mid-season races, and those same races stream simultaneously on Max (the streaming service that carries TNT's content library).
• USA Network and NBC: Covers the NASCAR Playoffs and the season-ending Championship race. USA Network races also stream live on Peacock for subscribers.

For the exact network assigned to each race, bookmark the official Cup Series schedule at NASCAR.com. The page lists broadcaster, track, and date for every event and updates as broadcast assignments are confirmed.

How to Track Wallace's Results and Standings

Staying current on Bubba Wallace's season performance requires no special subscription — these free tools handle everything you need:

• NASCAR.com: The official site provides live lap-by-lap scoring during races, driver points standings updated after every event, and a full results archive. No account is needed to view standings or race-by-race data. The driver profile page for Wallace shows his current points position, wins, and recent finishes.
• NASCAR app (iOS and Android): Offers real-time race tracking with position updates every few seconds, push notifications for race starts and caution flags, and driver-specific stat pages. The app is free to download and covers all three NASCAR national series.
• @BubbaWallace on Instagram and X: Wallace regularly posts race-day content, sponsor announcements, and personal reflections after events. His social posts often include context about a race result that raw stats do not capture.
• @23XIRacing on Instagram and X: The team's accounts cover both the #23 Wallace car and the #45 car, posting setup details, race-day highlights, and crew radio clips after events.

How to Attend a Race and See Wallace Live

Watching a Cup Series race in person is one of the most accessible live motorsport experiences in North America. Ticket prices range from roughly $40 for general admission at some tracks to several hundred dollars for premium seats at flagship events like Daytona or Charlotte. To attend:

1. Pick a race from the schedule: Go to NASCAR.com and browse upcoming Cup Series events. Note that many venues run multi-day weekends with Xfinity Series races, practice sessions, and qualifying on Friday and Saturday before the Cup race on Sunday.
2. Buy tickets through the track's official site: Each track operates its own ticketing portal, linked directly from the race detail page on NASCAR.com. Ticketmaster also handles many venues. Buying early for Daytona, Talladega, and Charlotte gives you the best seat selection.
3. Bring ear protection: Race cars produce over 100 decibels during green-flag laps. Foam earplugs work fine and cost nothing; over-ear protection is available at most track merchandise stands for around $20.
4. Rent a scanner: A handheld radio scanner tuned to each team's pit channel lets you hear live crew-to-driver communication during the race. Scanner rental kiosks operate at most major tracks, or use the NASCAR app's in-race audio feature as a free alternative.
5. Arrive 90 minutes early: Most Cup events include a pre-race driver introduction ceremony on pit road. Arriving early also gives you time to browse the sponsor midway, visit merchandise trailers, and walk through the fan zones before the green flag drops.

Wallace's Impact on NASCAR Diversity

Bubba Wallace's career carries significance that extends well beyond individual race results. His full-time Cup Series arrival in 2018 broke a barrier that had stood for nearly five decades, and his subsequent advocacy has produced lasting changes to the sport's policies and culture.

In June 2020, Wallace wore a Black Lives Matter shirt during pre-race ceremonies and drove a special paint scheme calling for an end to racial injustice. He then publicly asked NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag from its events. NASCAR announced the ban the following day — a major policy shift for a sport with deep roots in the American South, where Confederate imagery had long been a fixture in grandstands and infields.

Later that summer at Talladega, a garage pull-rope tied in the shape of a noose was discovered in his assigned stall. An FBI investigation determined the rope had been in the stall since before Wallace was assigned to it, but the episode drew intense national media coverage and put NASCAR's complicated history with race and belonging in the spotlight for weeks.

Wallace has spoken openly in interviews about the mental and emotional weight of carrying that visibility throughout a race season. The founding of 23XI Racing as a Black co-owned team in a major American professional sport is itself a product of that moment, with Michael Jordan citing Wallace's advocacy as part of what motivated him to invest. NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program — which funds development pathways for underrepresented drivers and crew members — has expanded in scope during this period, and Wallace's career remains one of its most prominent examples of what the program is intended to produce.