Bubba Wallace
William Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. (born October 8, 1993) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing. Wallace is widely recognized as the only full-time Black American driver in NASCAR’s three national series throughout each season he has competed in them, and he has built a reputation as both a competitive racer and a leading voice in the sport.
Early Life and Background
Wallace was born in Mobile, Alabama, and raised in Concord, North Carolina. He is the son of Darrell Wallace Sr., the owner of an industrial cleaning company, and Desiree Wallace, a social worker who ran track at the University of Tennessee. Growing up in a racing-friendly region, Wallace was drawn to motorsports at a young age and began competing in local events before his tenth birthday.
Wallace started racing in the Bandolero and Legends car series, as well as local late model events, at the age of nine. In 2005, he won 35 of the Bandolero Series’ 48 races held that year, signaling his potential as a young talent. By 2008, he had become the youngest driver ever to win at Franklin County Speedway in Virginia, a record that helped launch his climb up the ladder of stock car racing.
Path to NASCAR
Wallace’s journey through the NASCAR development system began in the late 2000s through regional late model competition. In 2008, he earned the UARA-Stars Late Model Series Rookie of the Year award, demonstrating rapid progress in a competitive series. That early success helped position him for a spot in NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program.
In 2010, Wallace began competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, driving for Rev Racing as part of the Drive for Diversity program and signing as a development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing. He won his very first series race at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, becoming the youngest driver ever to win at the track and the youngest to win in series history. He finished third in points that season and won the K&N Pro Series East Rookie of the Year award, becoming the first African American to earn a Rookie of the Year award in a NASCAR series. Wallace’s strong development years opened the door to a national series career beginning in 2012.
Bubba Wallace Career
Early Career (2010-2012)
Wallace spent his earliest NASCAR years splitting time between the K&N Pro Series East and select Xfinity Series starts. After finishing second in K&N East points in 2011 with three wins, he moved to race directly for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2012, where he won again at Greenville-Pickens Speedway and balanced his development schedule with part-time Xfinity duties. Those years laid the foundation for a full-time national series opportunity.
During this period, Wallace also collected additional accolades, including the 2008 UARA-Stars Late Model Series Rookie of the Year. His ability to adapt quickly to new cars and tracks gave team owners confidence that he could handle the pressures of NASCAR’s national touring divisions.
Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2013-2017)
In February 2013, Wallace was announced as the full-time driver of the No. 54 Toyota in the Camping World Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports. On October 26, 2013, he became the first African-American driver to win in one of NASCAR’s national series since Wendell Scott in 1963, taking the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. The victory was a landmark moment in his career and in NASCAR history.
Wallace returned to the Truck Series full-time in 2014, winning four races, including the Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway and a Martinsville repeat. He finished third in the final Truck Series standings that year. He continued to make occasional Truck Series starts in later seasons, adding a win at Michigan in 2017 and a victory at Martinsville in 2017 driving for MDM Motorsports, although that result came with a post-race penalty. Across his Truck Series career, Wallace accumulated six wins, 30 top-ten finishes, and three poles.
Xfinity Series (2012-2017)
Wallace made his national series debut in the Xfinity Series in late May 2012, driving the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing at Iowa Speedway, where he finished ninth. He continued to run part-time Xfinity schedules through 2014 before being granted his release from JGR in December 2014 due to sponsorship challenges. He signed with Roush Fenway Racing for a full 2015 Xfinity campaign in the No. 6 Ford EcoBoost Mustang, finishing seventh in the final standings with 14 top-ten finishes.
Wallace ran the Xfinity Series again in 2016 and made the inaugural Xfinity Series chase, advancing to the round of eight before being eliminated. Sponsorship issues later led Roush Fenway to suspend his team, and he made a one-off start with Biagi-DenBeste Racing at Chicagoland Speedway, finishing tenth. Across his Xfinity Series career, he recorded 36 top-ten finishes and two poles without a victory.
Cup Series Career (2017-Present)
Wallace entered the NASCAR Cup Series in 2017 with Richard Petty Motorsports, substituting for the injured Aric Almirola in the famous No. 43. He became the first African-American to race in the Cup Series since Bill Lester in 2006, and he impressed in his debut by advancing to the second round of qualifying at Pocono. In 2018, he was officially named the full-time driver of the No. 43, becoming the first African-American driver with a full-time Cup ride since Wendell Scott in 1971. He finished second in the 2018 Daytona 500, the highest finish by a full-time rookie in race history.
On September 21, 2020, basketball legend Michael Jordan and NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin announced the formation of 23XI Racing, with Wallace as the team’s first driver in the No. 23 Toyota. On October 4, 2021, Wallace earned his first career Cup Series victory at the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, becoming the first African-American driver to win a Cup race since Wendell Scott in 1963. In 2022, he added a second Cup win at Kansas Speedway and finished nineteenth in points. Wallace made the Cup Series playoffs for the first time in 2023, finishing tenth in the final standings with five top-five finishes, and he ended 2024 in eighteenth place.
23XI Racing Era (2021-Present)
Wallace’s move to 23XI Racing marked a fresh chapter in his Cup career. Driving the No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE, he quickly became the face of a high-profile team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. His breakthrough came in October 2021 at Talladega, and he added a second Cup win at Kansas in 2022. Despite a winless 2023, his playoff appearance and ten top-ten finishes showed steady progress, and he ended 2024 with his second-best career points finish.
On October 30, 2024, 23XI Racing announced that Bootie Barker would move to another position within the organization and that Charles Denike, a veteran of the Truck Series, would become Wallace’s crew chief for 2025. The pairing produced immediate results, including a victory in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27, 2025, after a rain delay and double overtime finish, making Wallace the first Black driver to win a major race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. He also won The Duel at Daytona to open the 2025 season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Wallace has built a reputation as a strong superspeedway and restrictor-plate racer, with a knack for staying out of trouble in pack racing and capitalizing on late-race opportunities. His breakthrough Cup wins at Talladega, Kansas, and Indianapolis highlighted his patience, race craft, and ability to execute under pressure. The partnership with crew chief Charles Denike in 2025 has produced some of his most consistent weekly performances, and his longtime spotter Freddie Kraft has remained a key part of his in-race communication.
Notable Races and Milestones
Wallace’s career is marked by historic firsts, including his 2013 Truck Series win at Martinsville that ended a 50-year drought for African-American winners in NASCAR national series competition. He finished second in both the 2018 and 2022 Daytona 500s, the highest finishes ever by an African-American driver in that race. His 2021 Talladega win, 2022 Kansas victory, and 2025 Brickyard 400 triumph cemented his place among NASCAR’s most significant modern figures.
Bubba Wallace Career Wins
Wallace has compiled victories across multiple NASCAR national and regional series, beginning with his K&N Pro Series East debut win in 2010 and continuing through his 2025 Brickyard 400 triumph. His win total spans the Truck Series, the Cup Series, and developmental late model events, with each victory adding to his reputation as a determined and historically significant driver.
Cup Series Highlights
Wallace has three NASCAR Cup Series victories. His first came at the 2021 YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, followed by a win at Kansas Speedway in 2022. His most recent Cup victory came at the 2025 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he held off Kyle Larson in a dramatic double-overtime finish. Across his Cup career, he has earned 66 top-ten finishes and three poles, with a best championship result of tenth in 2023.
Other Wins and Performances
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Wallace recorded six wins, 30 top-ten finishes, and three poles, highlighted by his 2013 Martinsville victory and a four-win 2014 season that included the Mudsummer Classic at Eldora. In the ARCA Menards Series East, he earned six wins and four poles, with a best championship finish of second in 2011. He was also the inaugural winner of the U.S. Short Track Nationals Super Late Model 100 in 2017.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | 3 | 66 | 3 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 6 | 30 | 3 |
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (Xfinity) | 0 | 36 | 2 |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 6 | 26 | 4 |
Bubba Wallace Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Wallace is the son of Darrell Wallace Sr. and Desiree Wallace. His father owns an industrial cleaning company, while his mother is a social worker who competed in track and field at the University of Tennessee. The family supported his early racing career, helping him travel to Bandolero and late model events as a child and providing a stable foundation as he progressed through the NASCAR development ranks.
Personal Life
Wallace married Amanda Carter on December 31, 2022, after getting engaged on July 30, 2021. The couple have a son and a daughter together. Wallace has spoken publicly about his Christian faith and about his ongoing work with the Live to be Different Foundation, which he founded to support community causes. He has also been open about his experience with depression, an effort that earned him the National Motorsports Press Association’s Pocono Spirit Award for the second quarter of 2020 and the Comcast Community Champion of the Year award for 2020.
2025 Season Performance
Wallace opened the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season by winning The Duel at Daytona, setting a strong tone for the year. Although he ended the Daytona 500 with a 29th-place result, he bounced back with consistent runs across the early months. By midseason, his new partnership with crew chief Charles Denike produced some of the most competitive form of his Cup career, including several top-ten finishes leading into the summer stretch.
The highlight of Wallace’s 2025 season came on July 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he captured the Brickyard 400 after a rain delay and double-overtime finish, holding off Kyle Larson for the win. The victory made him the first Black driver to win a major race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and added a third career Cup win to his resume. He continued to build momentum through the latter portion of the schedule, positioning himself as a playoff contender and reinforcing 23XI Racing’s growing presence in the Cup Series garage.
