Bubba Wallace may be looking for a new car to drive in the NASCAR Cup Series following last weekend’s race, where he called for firing himself. In a post-race interview, Wallace pointed out that many drivers could perform better than him and are not currently under contract with another team.
After a wreck on the eleventh lap took Wallace out of the race, the controversial driver began questioning his own place in the sport. This marked the third time in his last six races that Wallace failed to finish the event, which was causing his team to plummet in points. In the interview, Wallace said:
“It’s just a shot in the heart, I’m starting to go down the slippery slope of self-doubt here. Two weeks in a row making rookie mistakes. Six years in the Cup, need to be replaced.”
Bubba Wallace after a mistake ends his day at COTA: pic.twitter.com/I36fmTgfsi
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 26, 2023
NASCAR drivers are known for doing and saying the unexpected, that’s what makes the sport so exciting. However, no driver in recent memory has gone as far as to call for his own firing. That cannot be a good strategy for inspiring faith and confidence in the crew, team owner, and teammates. All of the people that support Wallace and his car on a weekly basis have to be feeling concerned right now about the capabilities of the man behind the wheel.
One thing that Wallace has going for himself is that he is a controversial figure who has a commanding presence in the sport. While he is certainly not the most widely liked star in the league, mention of his name is met with an immediate opinion by fans on both sides of the Wallace divide. Bubba found himself at the epicenter of one of the most hilarious videos in NASCAR history, as one of the loudest choruses of ‘BOO’s’ ever rained down upon him last season in Martinsville. Video Below:
Most boos in driver intros: Bubba Wallace, and it wasn’t very close (way more than Kyle Busch and Ty Gibbs). pic.twitter.com/wti0kneWC1
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 30, 2022
He was also admonished for his racing style which has been perceived by some to be reckless and without care. In a race in October, Wallace became the center of an on track showdown as he rushed at a smaller and potentially concussed Kyle Larsen. Goose from the Genz Conservative wrote this about the incident:
“Kyle Larson, driver of the number 5 car, made an aggressive move to pass Wallace, whose car was forced to scrape the wall. From that point forward, Wallace sought out the number 5 car and ended Kyle Larson’s race, by spinning him into the grass. That wreck ended the race of three drivers, totaling the cars of Larson, Wallace, and Christopher Bell, a third driver who saw his championship hopes decimated by the collision.
“Wallace wasn’t finished there. After wrecking Larson and Bell, Wallace exited his vehicle that was still on the infield of the track, and hurried toward Larson, who looked to be a bit dazed after the hit he just took in his vehicle. Wallace then begins angrily shoving the chest of Larson, who did not want to be a part of any physical. As Larson tried to move away, Wallace continued forward yelling and shoving the much smaller driver.”
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