LONG POND, Pa. (AP) – Bubba Wallace and his wife have a baby on the way and a mortgage to pay on their house. So as Wallace watched the media crowd at Pocono Raceway, he decided he would open with a question.
“Anyone have money?” he laughed.
Wallace was a little lighter on the wallet this week after that NASCAR charged him $50,000 for revenge against race winner Alex Bowman on the cool lap of the Chicago Street Race.
Wallace hit Bowman’s car and sent it into the wall.
The move cost Wallace money, of course – and yes, driving for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing team, he can afford to pay that price. Moreover, this incident opened Wallace’s eyes that he was not really acting like the person he wanted to be in the song.
“The penalty was probably the best thing that ever happened to me,” Wallace said Saturday. “I’ve been sad for years.”
The 30-year-old Wallace has long been open about his struggles with depression, which stemmed from personal and professional struggles. Famous for wearing his heart in his hand, Wallace admitted he hasn’t been a beacon of joy on the track as he approaches nearly two years since his last Cup Series victory. He starts 29th at No. 23 Toyota on Sunday at Pocono.
“I’ve been with someone I’m not proud of,” Wallace said.
Wallace apologized for his recent behavior to everyone from the reporter he left last week to Bowman and even a NASCAR official. informed him of the charge.
“I’m just confused. “I’m trying really hard,” said Wallace. “I didn’t focus on the right things.”
Wallace also struggled with his role as a change agent in NASCAR after he successfully helped the industry. ban the Confederate flag in 2020. He is seen as a hero by some, especially those who longed for a Black athlete to shake up the white man’s game. To some, Wallace represents something else entirely and has seen plenty of social media haters for his work.
“For the last four or five years, people have been wanting me out of the game, haven’t they?” Wallace said. People don’t really understand.
Wallace found a surprising source of advice this week when he met retired NASCAR great Kevin Harvick. Wallace was set to race with Harvick in the lower-race series when talk turned to the Bowman incident and paying NASCAR. Long one of NASCAR’s most outspoken drivers, Harvick told Wallace to show up at Pocono “with a smile on my face and take it.”
“I may not agree with the punishment but I smile about it,” Wallace said. “He also told me many powerful things. Showing up and being the fun-loving guy that I am all week. I think that was one of the most important things I’ve been told. People don’t see who I am on Sunday. That hit me.
“I always teach about being one person on and off the racetrack. It’s a pressure cooker to be in a Cup position, isn’t it? And for the past four years, I’ve been sad when I try to walk like everything is fine. “
Wallace insisted that his mental health is generally good. But he had to apologize to one more person: his wife, Amanda.
“I wasn’t the best man,” he said. I made him feel like he had to walk on eggshells after a bad run. That’s not what it’s about. It’s about coming home and finding a new way to be with the people around you. That’s what I expect.”
Wallace says he deviated from his normal behavior on the pitch because he always felt the need – despite winning two Cups – to prove himself.
He laughed when he said he blamed his father – with whom Wallace said he had a complicated relationship over the years – for telling him not to start trouble. But always finish it, if necessary.
An eye for an eye.
Like Chicago.
Bowman said after the race in the rain in Chicago that he punched Wallace during the event and revenge was deserved. Bowman also argued that Wallace should not be punished. Bowman said Wallace “has a right to be mad.”
Wallace’s windshield was down when he hit Bowman after the race, and a camera inside Bowman’s car showed that the driver was confused by the hit.
“Did I time it wrong? Absolutely, 100%,” said Wallace. “His window net was down, his seat belts were off. It’s not an ideal situation.”
Denny Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI with Jordan, believed that NASCAR imposed the fine because dust was caught on camera. Nor did he discuss the matter with Wallace.
“I think it’s still live and everybody seeing it, it probably caused another social media frenzy, which they then responded to,” Hamlin said.
Wallace is chasing a spot in the NASCAR championship with six races remaining. He trails Chris Buescher by 45 points for the final spot in the 16-driver field.
Harvick told Wallace to take a breath because the penalty could have been worse. Money is more difficult. Details are closed. Suspension.
Compared to those alternatives, maybe shelling out $50,000 isn’t so bad — as Wallace joked for home improvement.
“I told my wife, hey, we might have to stop at that nursery. I have to pay this bill first,” Wallace said.
Dear Truex
Martin Truex Jr. is nearing the end of his NASCAR career. He has made it to Pocono.
The song honored Truex – who announced he will retire from full-time work at the end of this season – by painting TRUEX Jr at the beginning/end.
“As a driver, you never feel like you really deserve things like that,” said Truex, who has won two career championships. “For Pocono to do that, it means a lot to me, my family. It’s really cool to see and hopefully we’ll be the first to cross it tomorrow. ”
Truex can use the win to put himself in position to chase a second career Cup win in his final season. Truex has yet to win this season for Joe Gibs Racing and holds one of the four open spots in the points.
Problems and Conclusions
Denny Hamlin is him The most popular BETMGM Sportsbook to win Sunday.
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