This has been quite a year for the controversial NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace. Aside from his racing, Wallace welcomed his son Becks back in September. This was the first child of Wallace and his wife Amanda, who he’s been married to since New Year’s Eve in 2022.
Judging by his recent comments, it appears that the birth of his first child may have shifted his perspective and attitude just a bit.
Wallace’s ‘Surreal’ Year
Wallace, 31, took to Instagram on Sunday to reflect on how “surreal” his life has been this year.
“When the mentals are in check.. it’s surreal how good life can be,” Wallace wrote.
“Doing it with your best friend is what life is all about,” he continued. “Thriving.”
This came days after Amanda took to her own Instagram page to say that they celebrated Christmas a little bit differently this year.
“Decided to do something a lil different for Christmas this year started off with some Chinese then saw the Rockettes perform and then wandered the city before having an omakase sushi dinner,” Alyssa wrote.
“Ended the evening watching the Grinch of course,” she added. “Becks slept through most of it though, except at night.”
Related: Racing Fans Not Impressed With NASCAR’s Bubba Wallace Hype Video
Difficult Time For Wallace
This comes at a difficult time for Wallace. Indeed, he’s preparing for a 2025 season that many feel will be a make-or-break year for him. Last week, it was revealed that Wallace is considering other options beyond 23XI Racing. Co-owned by Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan, the team is currently embroiled in a heated legal battle with NASCAR.
23XI Racing has refused to sign charter agreements for the years 2025-2031. This has led to 23XI Racing teaming up with Front Row Motorsports to file an anti-trust lawsuit against NASCAR over alleged monopolistic actions.
They just scored a preliminary injunction that will allow them to keep competing as charter teams instead of entering as “open” cars during the ongoing litigation. When ruling in favor of this injunction, U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Bell highlighted Wallace as a crucial part of it.
“23XI’s contract with driver Riley Herbst similarly requires that Herbst be provided with a chartered car, as does Front Row’s contract with driver Noah Gragson,” Judge Bell said.
“Other drivers have expressed similarly urgent concerns,” he continued. “Driver Bubba Wallace informed 23XI that he needs to know how it intends to compete ‘immediately’ so that he can explore seats with other teams.”
Related: Bubba Wallace Reveals He’s Not Happy That Michael Jordan And Denny Hamlin Removed His Crew Chief
Wallace Preparing For ‘Critical Year’
Though NASCAR is challenging the court’s decision, it seems that Wallace will be staying on with 23XI Racing for the time being. Legendary NASCAR crew chief and analyst Larry McReynolds believes that this will be a pivotal year for Wallace’s career.
“I get a feeling this is a pretty critical year for Bubba Wallace,” McReynolds boldly declared. “You know Tyler Reddick won one more race this year, just this year alone, than Bubba Wallace has in his whole career. Two wins in 255 starts and as I said, he’s been there since day one with 23XI when they first rolled out the beginning of 2021.”
“I just feel like this is a pretty critical year for Bubba Wallace to go out there and contend for wins,” he added.
Judging by Wallace’s latest Instagram post, it seems that he’s taking some much needed downtime as he prepares for a crucial 2025 season. Only time will tell how this turns out for Wallace!
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