History of Bubba Wallace in Timeline
Bubba Wallace Jr. is a prominent American professional stock car racing driver. He currently races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, piloting the No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing. As one of the few African-American drivers in NASCAR's top tier, he has gained significant attention and recognition, making him a notable figure in the sport.
December 1, 1963: Wendell Scott's Grand National Division Win
On December 1, 1963, Wendell Scott achieved the only previous win by an African-American driver in the Grand National Division.
October 8, 1993: Bubba Wallace Born
On October 8, 1993, William Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. was born. He is an American professional stock car racing driver.
2005: Bandolero Series Win
In 2005, at the age of nine, Bubba Wallace won 35 of the 48 Bandolero Series races held that year.
2008: Youngest Winner at Franklin County Speedway
In 2008, Bubba Wallace became the youngest driver to win at Franklin County Speedway in Virginia.
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 won his first race at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, becoming the youngest driver to win at the track and in the series history.
2011: Three Wins in K&N Pro Series East
In 2011, Wallace achieved three wins in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, at Richmond International Raceway, Columbus Motor Speedway, and Dover International Speedway. He finished second in points to Max Gresham.
2012: Wins K&N East Event
In 2012, Wallace raced for Joe Gibbs Racing, winning 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.
December 8, 2014: Leaves Joe Gibbs Racing
On December 8, 2014, Wallace announced his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing after struggling to find sponsorship, to seek other opportunities.
December 18, 2014: Signs 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: Full-Time Return to Camping World Truck Series
In 2014, Wallace returned to the Camping World Truck Series full-time. In June, Wallace won the Drivin' for Linemen 200 at Gateway Motorsports Park. He won the Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway and the Kroger 200 at Martinsville, dedicating the latter to Wendell Scott. He won the season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway, finishing third in points.
2014: Returns to Nationwide Series
In 2014, Wallace returned to the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. In May, at Talladega Superspeedway he finished 34th. In July at Daytona with Coca-Cola's "Share a Coke" campaign sponsoring, he finished 7th.
January 28, 2015: Drive the No. 6 Ford EcoBoost Mustang
On January 28, 2015, at NASCAR Media Day, it was announced that Wallace would drive the No. 6 Ford EcoBoost Mustang.
2015: NASCAR Asked Fans Not To Display Confederate Flag
In 2015, after the publication of photographs showing the white man who killed nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, posing with the Confederate Flag, NASCAR began asking fans not to display the flag at its races.
June 5, 2017: Replaces Aric Almirola in Cup Series
On June 5, 2017, Richard Petty Motorsports announced that Wallace would drive the team's No. 43 Ford in place of the injured Aric Almirola, making Wallace the first African-American to race in the Cup Series since Bill Lester in 2006.
October 25, 2017: New Driver of the No. 43
On October 25, 2017, Wallace was officially introduced as the new driver of the No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports. He is the first African-American driver to have a full-time Cup ride since Wendell Scott in 1971.
2017: Voice Acting in Cars 3
In 2017, Bubba Wallace voiced the character Bubba Wheelhouse in the Pixar film Cars 3.
October 2018: Named in Ebony Magazine's Power 100 List
In October 2018, Wallace was included in Ebony magazine's Power 100 list, alongside figures like Stephen Curry and Barack and Michelle Obama.
2018: Returns 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 that weekend.
2018: Behind the Wall: Bubba Wallace
Leading up to the 2018 Daytona 500, Bubba Wallace starred in the Facebook Watch series Behind the Wall: Bubba Wallace.
July 23, 2019: Richard Petty's Autograph
On July 23, 2019, Bubba Wallace posted photos of Richard Petty autographing his left forearm and vowed to have Petty's signature tattooed if the photos were retweeted 43,000 times.
October 5, 2019: Apology for Charlotte Roval Incident
On October 5, 2019, Wallace apologized to Jeff Gordon, Dr. Angela Fiege, and Jeff Andrews for splashing them during the Charlotte Roval incident, but stood by his actions towards Alex Bowman.
November 9, 2019: Fined and Docked Points for Manipulating Competition
On November 9, 2019, Wallace was fined $50,000 and docked 50 points for intentionally manipulating competition at Texas after experiencing a tire failure.
2019: Noose in Garage Stall Since 2019
A day after the race, an investigation by the FBI concluded that the alleged noose had been in the garage since the fall Talladega race in 2019.
2019: Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race
During the 2019 season, Wallace won the second stage of the Monster Energy Open and finishing fifth in the All-Star Race. At Watkins Glen, he spun Kyle Busch off the track on lap 61.
2019: Revealed Depression
In 2019, Bubba Wallace revealed that he dealt with and continues to deal with depression for most of his racing career.
May 2020: Speaking Out After George Floyd's Murder
In May 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, Bubba Wallace began speaking out against the abuse of African Americans by the police, becoming the face of stock car racing's involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement.
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 NASCAR races.
June 10, 2020: NASCAR Bans Confederate Flag
On June 10, 2020, NASCAR officially banned the display of the Confederate flag at its events.
June 21, 2020: Noose Found in Garage Stall
On June 21, 2020, a member of Bubba Wallace's team reported a noose in his garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway, leading to condemnation from NASCAR. The organization pledged to consult with law enforcement, and Wallace expressed sadness but also praised fellow drivers for championing inclusivity.
June 25, 2020: NASCAR Releases Photo of Noose, Announces Sensitivity Training
On June 25, 2020, NASCAR released a photo of the noose found in Bubba Wallace's garage. NASCAR also announced it would require sensitivity and unconscious bias training for its personnel.
July 6, 2020: President Trump's Tweet
On July 6, 2020, President Donald Trump tweeted that Bubba Wallace should apologize for the noose investigation, calling it a hoax. He also claimed that NASCAR's Confederate flag ban had caused the "lowest ratings EVER!"
September 10, 2020: Leaves Richard Petty Motorsports
On September 10, 2020, Wallace announced he would leave Richard Petty Motorsports at the end of the 2020 season.
September 21, 2020: Joins 23XI Racing
On September 21, 2020, Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin created 23XI Racing. Wallace was announced as the first driver in the No. 23 car.
2020: Christian Faith and Auction for Motor Racing Outreach
In 2020, Bubba Wallace clarified that his criticism of Michael McDowell after an incident at that year's All-Star Race was not an attack on McDowell's Christian faith. His wrecked front bumper was auctioned for $20,034 for the Christian non-profit organization Motor Racing Outreach.
2020: Live to be Different Foundation and Awards
In 2020, Bubba Wallace founded and runs the Live to be Different Foundation. He also won the National Motorsports Press Association's Pocono Spirit Award and the Comcast Community Champion of the Year award.
2020: Race: Bubba Wallace Docu-series
In 2020, Bubba Wallace was the subject of the Netflix docu-series Race: Bubba Wallace. The six-episode series follows his career during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, including his off-track life and activism.
2020: Reunited with Crew Chief Jerry Baxter
In 2020, Wallace reunited with crew chief Jerry Baxter. He finished sixth at the Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas. The season was halted after four races due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: Black Lives Matter Paint Scheme
In 2020, at the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 NASCAR race, Bubba Wallace's car featured a special paint scheme to honor Black Lives Matter, including an illustration of black and white hands interlocking, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, and the phrase "Compassion, Love, Understanding."
March 2021: 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.
July 30, 2021: Engagement to Amanda Carter
On July 30, 2021, Bubba Wallace got engaged to Amanda Carter.
October 4, 2021: First Cup Win at Talladega
On October 4, 2021, Wallace earned his first career Cup win at Talladega after the race was shortened due to rain. Wallace is the first African-American driver to win a Cup Series race since Wendell Scott in 1963. Wallace also scored the first win for a McDonald's-sponsored car since Jimmy Spencer in 1994.
2021: First Win at Talladega
In 2021 Bubba Wallace had his first win at Talladega.
2021: Crew Chief Since 2021
In 2021, Bootie Barker became the crew chief for Bubba Wallace.
2021: Music Video Appearance
In 2021, Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin appeared in the music video for Post Malone's song "Motley Crew".
2021: Pro Bowl Participation
In 2021, Bubba Wallace participated virtually in the Pro Bowl after the event was cancelled and hosted on Madden NFL 21.
2021: Race: Bubba Wallace Docu-series
In 2021, Bubba Wallace was the subject of the Netflix docu-series Race: Bubba Wallace. The six-episode series follows his career during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, including his off-track life and activism.
March 29, 2022: Crew Chief Suspended
On March 29, 2022, crew chief Bootie Barker was suspended for four races due to a tire and wheel loss during the 2022 Texas Grand Prix at COTA. Dave Rogers was announced as Wallace's crew chief for several races.
August 31, 2022: Ride Switch at 23XI
On August 31, 2022, it was announced that Bubba Wallace, along with crew chief Barker, would switch rides at 23XI for the remainder of the season, moving to the No. 45 car to pursue the owner's championship.
2022: Race: Bubba Wallace Docu-series
In 2022, Bubba Wallace was the subject of the Netflix docu-series Race: Bubba Wallace. The six-episode series follows his career during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, including his off-track life and activism.
December 31, 2022: Marriage to Amanda Carter
On December 31, 2022, Bubba Wallace married Amanda Carter.
2023: 20th-place finish at Daytona 500, Playoffs appearance
In 2023, Bubba Wallace started the season with a 20th-place finish at the Daytona 500 and made the playoffs for the first time in his career. Despite improving in overall points, achieving 5 top 5 finishes, and 10 top 10 finishes, 2023 marked Wallace's first winless season since his first win at Talladega in 2021. He advanced to the Round of 12 following the Bristol night race, but was later eliminated at the Charlotte Roval race.
2024: Mixed Results and Penalties in 2024 Season
In 2024, Bubba Wallace had a promising start with two fifth-place finishes but faced struggles and a 35th-place finish at Las Vegas. He later achieved a fourth-place finish at Martinsville and several top 10 finishes. At the Chicago Street Race on July 7, Wallace spun out after a collision with Alex Bowman and intentionally collided with Bowman's car post-race, resulting in a $50,000 fine. Following the Martinsville playoff race, Wallace was docked 50 owner and driver points and fined US$100,000 for race manipulation, finishing the 2024 NASCAR season in 18th place overall. On October 30, 23XI Racing announced that Charles Denike would replace Bootie Barker as crew chief in 2025.
2025: Charles Denike to become crew chief
On October 30, 23XI Racing announced that Charles Denike, who comes from the Truck Series, would be Wallace’s crew chief in 2025.
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