Career Timeline of Bubba Wallace: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Bubba Wallace built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Bubba Wallace is a professional stock car racing driver in the NASCAR Cup Series. He drives the No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing. He is a prominent figure in NASCAR, known for his racing career.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2005: Won 35 Bandolero Series Races

In 2005, Bubba Wallace won 35 of the 48 Bandolero Series races held that year, showcasing his early talent in racing.

2008: Youngest Winner at Franklin County Speedway

In 2008, Bubba Wallace became the youngest driver to win at Franklin County Speedway in Virginia, marking another milestone in his early career.

2010: Competed in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East

In 2010, Wallace began competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, driving for Rev Racing as part of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program and was signed as a development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing. He also won his first race in the series at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, becoming the youngest driver to win at the track.

2011: Won Three Times in K&N Pro Series East

In 2011, Wallace secured three victories in the K&N Pro Series East at Richmond International Raceway, Columbus Motor Speedway, and Dover International Speedway, finishing second in points to Max Gresham.

2012: Won K&N East Event at Greenville-Pickens Speedway

In 2012, racing directly for Joe Gibbs Racing, Wallace won the second K&N East event of the year at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, marking his first win with JGR.

February 2013: Full Season in Camping World Truck Series

In February 2013, it was announced that Wallace would run a full season in the Camping World Truck Series in the No. 54 Toyota owned by Kyle Busch Motorsports.

October 26, 2013: First African-American Driver to Win Since 1963

On October 26, 2013, Wallace made history as the first African-American driver to win in one of NASCAR's national series since 1963, securing victory in the Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway.

December 8, 2014: Left Joe Gibbs Racing

On December 8, 2014, Wallace announced his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing after struggling to find sponsorship, seeking new opportunities in his career.

December 18, 2014: Signed with Roush Fenway Racing

On December 18, 2014, Roush Fenway Racing officially announced they had signed Wallace to compete full-time in the No. 6 Ford Mustang in 2015.

2014: Returned to Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing

In 2014, Bubba Wallace returned to the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing, starting in May at Talladega Superspeedway. He also ran at Daytona in July, sponsored by Coca-Cola's "Share a Coke" campaign.

2014: Full-Time Return to Camping World Truck Series

In 2014, Wallace returned full-time to the Camping World Truck Series in the No. 54. He won the Drivin' for Linemen 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park in June. He switched to the No. 34 for the Kroger 200 at Martinsville in tribute to Wendell Scott, and won the season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway.

January 28, 2015: Drove the No. 6 Ford EcoBoost Mustang

On January 28, 2015, it was announced that Wallace would drive the No. 6 Ford EcoBoost Mustang, marking the start of his season with Roush Fenway Racing.

2015: Initial Actions Regarding the Confederate Flag

In 2015, NASCAR began asking fans not to display the Confederate flag at its races after the publication of photos showing the white man who killed nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, posing with the flag.

June 5, 2017: Drove No. 43 Ford in Cup Series

On June 5, 2017, Richard Petty Motorsports announced plans for Wallace to drive the team's No. 43 Ford in place of injured Aric Almirola, marking his debut in the Cup Series.

October 25, 2017: Officially Introduced as Driver of No. 43

On October 25, 2017, Wallace was officially introduced as the new driver of the No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports, marking his first full-time Cup ride since Wendell Scott in 1971.

2018: Equaled best-ever Cup Series result at the Daytona 500

In 2018, Bubba Wallace had his best-ever Cup Series result at the Daytona 500. In 2021, Wallace would score a second-place finish at the August Daytona Race. Due to a post-race car inspection failure on the No. 17 car of Chris Buescher, his result was increased to second, equaling his best-ever Cup Series result at the 2018 Daytona 500.

2018: Returned to K&N East at Watkins Glen

In 2018, Wallace returned to K&N East at Watkins Glen, driving the No. 27 Chevrolet for Jefferson Pitts Racing to gain extra road course experience before the Cup Series race.

2018: Hired as the New Driver of the No. 43

In 2018, Wallace was hired as the new driver of the No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports.

2019: Won the Second Stage of the Monster Energy Open

During the 2019 season, Wallace displayed his potential by winning the second stage of the Monster Energy Open and finishing fifth in the All-Star Race. He also spun Kyle Busch off the track at Watkins Glen.

May 2020: Speaking Out After George Floyd's Murder

In May 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, Bubba Wallace began to speak out about the abuse of African Americans by the police.

June 8, 2020: Call to Ban Confederate Flag

On June 8, 2020, Bubba Wallace called on NASCAR to prohibit displays of the Confederate battle flag at races, becoming the face of stock car racing's involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement.

June 10, 2020: NASCAR Bans Confederate Flag

On June 10, 2020, NASCAR officially banned the display of the Confederate flag at its events, following Bubba Wallace's call for the ban.

June 25, 2020: NASCAR Releases Photo and Announces Sensitivity Training

On June 25, 2020, NASCAR released a photo of the noose and announced that they would require sensitivity and unconscious bias training for its personnel, confirming that Bubba Wallace had no involvement in the incident.

September 10, 2020: Announced Departure from RPM

On September 10, 2020, Wallace announced his departure from Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) at the end of the 2020 season.

September 21, 2020: Joined 23XI Racing

On September 21, 2020, Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin created 23XI Racing, with Wallace as the first driver in the No. 23.

2020: Awards and Foundation

In 2020, Bubba Wallace founded and runs the Live to be Different Foundation. He also received the National Motorsports Press Association's Pocono Spirit Award and the Comcast Community Champion of the Year award.

2020: Reunited with Crew Chief Jerry Baxter

In 2020, Wallace was reunited with crew chief Jerry Baxter. He finished sixth in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas and was 18th in points when the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: Black Lives Matter Paint Scheme

In 2020, during the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Bubba Wallace's car featured a special Black Lives Matter paint scheme, including an illustration of black and white hands interlocking, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, and the phrase "Compassion, Love, Understanding."

March 2021: Joined Spencer Davis Motorsports for Pinty's Dirt Truck Race

In March 2021, Wallace joined Spencer Davis Motorsports to drive their No. 11 in the Pinty's Dirt Truck Race on Bristol Motor Speedway's dirt layout, finishing 11th in the race.

October 4, 2021: First Cup Win at Talladega

On October 4, 2021, Wallace secured his first career Cup win at Talladega after the race was shortened due to rain, becoming the first African-American driver to win a Cup Series race since Wendell Scott in 1963 and earning the first win for a McDonald's-sponsored car since Jimmy Spencer in 1994.

2021: Crew Chief Since 2021

Bootie Barker had been the 23 team's crew chief since 2021.

2021: First Win at Talladega

In 2021, Bubba Wallace achieved his first win at Talladega.

August 31, 2022: Switched Rides at 23XI for Remainder of Season

On August 31, 2022, Bubba Wallace and crew chief Barker switched rides at 23XI for the remainder of the season, moving to the No. 45 car to pursue the owner's championship.

2023: Playoff Appearance and Winless Season

In 2023, Bubba Wallace made the playoffs for the first time in his career, achieved 5 top 5 finishes and 10 top 10 finishes, but had his first winless season since his first win in 2021.

2024: Turbulent 2024 Season

In 2024, Bubba Wallace had two fifth-place finishes early in the season, but faced challenges, including a $50,000 fine for intentionally colliding with Alex Bowman's car after the Chicago Street Race. Later, Wallace was docked points and fined $100,000 for race manipulation at Martinsville. He finished the 2024 NASCAR season in 18th place overall.