Former NASCAR Cup Series driver turned analyst Kenny Wallace shared his thoughts on Bubba Wallace saying he “needs to be replaced” after he ended his day early at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas on Sunday.
Kenny Wallace via Kenny Wallace YouTube
Wallace ended his day when he appeared to completely forget to hit the brakes coming into Turn 12 and slammed hard into Kyle Larson.
Following the contact with Larson, one could see he broke the toe link on his car and hobbled it back to pit road where he parked it for the rest of the race.
Once Wallace exited his vehicle at COTA, he spoke to Fox Sports’ pit reporter Jamie Little and explained that his day was ended due to the broken toe link as well as an oil line.
“Broke a toe link in the rear and then oil line. Just trying my hardest not to go down that slippery slope of self-doubt, right here,” Wallace said. “Two weeks in a row making rookie mistakes. Six years in the Cup. Need to be replaced.”
Wallace shared his reactions to Wallace’s comments on his YouTube channel and came to the conclusion that Bubba Wallace needs a life coach.
Kenny Wallace began, “Number 1, Bubba Wallace got the biggest sponsors in America: McDonald’s, DoorDash. His owner is Michael Jordan, the most famous basketball player of all time and arguably one of the most famous people in all humanity. Bubba cannot talk like that.”
“Now listen, it’s very clear that Bubba deals in depression, I get that okay,” Kenny continued. “So here’s the Herminator’s — here’s my take on this — Bubba needs a life coach with him at the racetrack.”
Kenny Wallace continued, “When Bubba says ‘I need to be replaced’ that’s strong. That’s strong. McDonald’s does not want to hear that. DoorDash they don’t want to hear that. Michael Jordan of all people does not want to hear that.”
“In professional competition, we have sports people that deal with the mind,” Wallace went on. “Because like you golfers out there, it’s mind over matter. You against everybody. So you got to be mentally strong. I’m thinking about Max Pappas, he’s a life coach, he’s a driver coach for Austin Dillon. Bubba needs somebody. Bubba needs me at the racetrack, right? Because I deal in positive attitude. PMA. You just cannot race at this high of form of motorsports and say, ‘I need to be replaced.'”
Bubba Wallace as Columbia Sportswear Brand Ambassador
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He then pointed to the world stage that Bubba Wallace is on, “Now listen, here’s another thing I want to make a point about. We’re not on local TV. We’re not on channel 219 on Direct. We’re on rabbit ears. This is channel 2 in St. Louis, for me. This is all over the world. It’s not right here in Wisconsin. It’s not right here in Missouri.”
“So when Bubba says, ‘I need to be replaced’ he’s announcing, ‘I need to be replaced.’ Everybody’s thinking, ‘Well damn, Maybe he’s had it. Maybe he needs to be replaced,'” Kenny Wallace elaborated. “So today instead of Bubba dealing with, ‘Hey, I broke an oil line and I ran into Kyle Larson.’ That’s not even the story.”
Kenny Wallace via Kenny Wallace YouTube
Kenny then recounted Wallace’s incident with Larson. After recounting the incident, he returns to Bubba’s comments and says, “No, Bubba you don’t need to be replaced. … Bubba doesn’t need to be replaced because he’s a good talent. I see what he’s done. He’s been to Bristol in late models and he’s outrun the best local short track races there are. I’ve watched Bubba win truck races, late model races. Bubba’s a good driver.
He then reiterated, “But here’s what needs to happen with Bubba, and I’m telling you right now. He needs a life coach and the life coach needs to be with him at the racetrack. They have what they call sports therapists and let me tell you, your favorite athlete, yours, yes. … Sometimes you need help and there’s nothing wrong with help. You look in the dugout, you look on all the benches of anything whether it’s National Hockey League or the NFL, there’s people there for help.”
“When Bubba has something like that happen he needs to have his life coach with him. ‘Okay Bubba, bad race, but don’t tell everyone on national TV that you need to be replaced.’ That’s not the way it works,” he hammered home his point about Bubba Wallace needing a life coach.
Kenny again asserted Bubba deals with depression, “I’ve said it once and I’m gonna say it again. Bubba Wallace deals with depression. He’s incredibly hard on himself. Bubba needs a life coach. That’s all there is to it right now.”
Bubba Wallace via Noah Lewis YouTube
Kenny Wallace then noted if Bubba continues down the road he’s taken it’s going to be hard for him to become a champion, “Bubba’s not going to win any championships with this attitude. Danica Patrick has said it best, ‘If you’re thinking it then you’re believing it.’ If Bubba’s thinking he needs to be replaced then it’s going to happen.
“So he’s got to get him a life coach,” he repeated. “I know Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin are like, ‘What?’ Because Bubba is driving for two of the most mentally strong people in athleticism today. You’re not going to break Denny Hamlin, he’ll just came back at you with more mouth, and he’ll win the race. And same thing with Michael Jordan. We hear the stories all day long about Michael Jordan. ”
Bubba Wallace via Motorsports on NBC YouTube
Kenny later said, “I think we need to have a breakthrough meeting with Bubba. If Bubba’s gonna keep being a race car driver, you’re gonna have to have Denny Hamlin, Michael Jordan five feet from him staring him right in the face. And here’s what I would say, ‘Bubba, you’ve got a lot of talent. You’ve shown it. You’ve won in everything you’ve got in: late model stocks, trucks, whatever it is you’re a winner. But buddy your back’s against the wall. You got to come out with a positive mental attitude. We know life is not cherry. But right now, Bubba, you’re your own worst enemy.'”
Wallace then said, “So who needs to replace Bubba? Nobody. But he needs to replace his brain right now because he’s thinking wrong. I’m gonna say that one more time. Bubba is thinking wrong. Yes, people think wrong. You need to start thinking right. Think better, Bubba. Think better.”
Finally, Kenny Wallace suggested Bubba Wallace call him because he can help him out, “All right, buddy, give me a call I can help you out. I can help you.”
Bubba Wallace via NASCAR YouTube
What do you make of Wallace’s reaction to Bubba Wallace’s comments at COTA?
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