Bubba Wallace made a promise to himself to “enjoy the little stuff” this season, and it was clear during his victory.
“Can I get a Rolex for this one?” Wallace joked, referencing the award given to winners of the Rolex 24 at Daytona sports car race.
Wallace, driving the No. 23 Toyota for 23XI Racing, won the first of two qualifying races for the upcoming Daytona 500. His strong performance made him one of the top contenders for the “Great American Race.”
“Man, what a night,” Wallace said. “I’ve wanted one of these Duel wins for so long.”
He will now start the Daytona 500 on Sunday in third place, behind Chase Briscoe, who is in pole position, and Austin Cindric. Wallace’s victory marked Toyota’s dominance early on at Daytona International Speedway, where Briscoe won the pole in his new Joe Gibbs Racing car.
The 31-year-old Wallace celebrated his first win at Daytona by spraying Coke at his crew, hugging Denny Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan, and lifting his newborn son in the air, much like the iconic scene from “The Lion King.” His baby wore noise-protective headphones and a checkered-flag bib while sucking on a pacifier.
Wallace and his wife Amanda welcomed Becks Hayden Wallace in late September. Wallace shared that he “lost it walking out on pit road” carrying his 4-month-old son and teared up while celebrating with his family after the win.
“It is the coolest thing having a kid,” Wallace said. “You never know if you’re ready. I regret not having one earlier. He’s brought so much joy and a new perspective. I feel like I’m walking lighter because of him. Four months old, and he’s already changed my life.”
Wallace has been open about his mental health struggles. His experience at Daytona has been filled with more stress than success, having failed to win in 15 races at the track. He has, however, finished second twice in the Daytona 500.
Bubba Wallace celebrates with his son“Tired of talking about it,” he joked.
“I felt like every time I’ve strapped into a race car at Daytona 500, I’ve been able to win, and just things haven’t worked out like that,” Wallace said, noting that he’s finished in the top 15 in 12 of his 15 Daytona races. “You have to show up and have that drive and passion that you’re going to win. But you also have to put yourself in the right spot.”
He almost won in 2018 and 2022 but fell short in both Daytona 500s.
“I think you’ve got to crawl before you can walk,” he said. “Second-place finishes I guess wasn’t crawling enough. So maybe the Duel win is. Now we can put ourselves in a little bit better spot.”
“I feel like we’ve done just about everything right. But just about everything isn’t good enough to win the 500. It’s got to be perfect, and we’ve just got to really focus on how to do that and when that time comes be in the same spot here Sunday.”
Wallace said the day before that he “couldn’t care less” if President Donald Trump attends the Daytona 500. Trump had previously accused Wallace of being involved in “a hoax” five years ago when a noose was found in his team garage stall.
In July 2020, Trump suggested Wallace should apologize after NASCAR supported him following the noose discovery at Talladega Superspeedway. Federal authorities later determined that the rope, used to pull the garage door shut, had been hanging since October and was not a hate crime. NASCAR and the FBI referred to it as a noose.
Wallace declined to discuss the possibility of Trump attending the race.
“We’re here to race,” Wallace said. “Not for the show.”
