Bubba Wallace FULL EPISODE | EPISODE 20 | CLUB SHAY SHAY

hello welcome to another edition of club. shay shay i am your host also the. proprietor of club shay shea and the guy. that's stopping by for conversation on. the drink today. is the first african-american driver to. win rookie of the year in nascar he's. the first african-american driver in 50. years to win a national nascar truck. series he's the highest finishing nascar. driver in daytona 500 history finished. second in 2018 the long uh. african-american full-time driver in. nascar bubba wallace all my life been. grinding all my life. sacrifice hustle pay the price.

wanna slice got the bowl of dice that's. why all my life i've been grinding all. my life look all my life been running. all my life. sacrifice hustle paid the price. wanna. [Music]. how you doing bro i'm all good brother i. appreciate you having me on hey thank. you for coming off i wanna ask you a. question when you were growing up and. your friends started calling you bubba.

did you object to it at first or you. like okay i'll be bubba. i honestly. i i don't i think it's weird for people. to call me daryl because i'm so used to. bubba like it started out with my sister. the day i was born and so all of my. family cousins uncles aunts everybody. just everything was bubba and so once. you got to the racetrack we were we were. using daryl a little bit. and so i was so used to bubba that it. never really felt different to me so how.

was it when you got around people that. didn't call you bubba and everybody else. referred to you as bob and they looking. at you like what that's daryl why they. calling you bubba yeah so that was funny. seeing playing the the name game with a. lot of people um you know now. i've i've kind of used the bubba brand. uh in the racing career so bubba's kind. of the household name now um but there's. only a few people that i won't allow to. call me bubba which is funny my. girlfriend when she says it it's it's.

almost like she's making fun of the name. or joking. her tone just doesn't sound right so i i. do not allow her to say bubba so so have. it has it always been like that have you. all. girlfriends is daryl everybody else is. bubba yeah that's how it's always been. for some reason i i don't know i don't. know i haven't accepted her to be able. to. say that yet. bubba you're in a sport that's very. unique because your super bowl your.

championship starts first you look at. football it's the super bowl end of the. season baseball world series at the end. of the season most sports their. championship is at the end of the season. your sport what you gear up for is at. the beginning of the season how excited. are you in 2021 about the daytona 500. and your chances of winning that race. yeah no i'm i'm pumped because. this is an incredible opportunity for me. and and i think if we look at statistics.

daytona might be my best race track okay. from a number standpoint right for me. personally it's totally different but. from numbers. and just how it comes down to the data. it is my best track so. uh we've always had a really good. speedway program you know being a part. of the the petty family for the last. three years now switching over to to mj. and company um with 2311 racing and. toyota i'm excited about that so getting. getting there's there's so many emotions. going into this race just from a new. team new personnel new opportunities got.

to capitalize on everything so i'm. excited about it so ready to get things. going for our biggest race of the year. it's always gone been like that and so. it's tradition so we're all used to it. what. so the transition was talk about richard. petty going back but the transition as. you mentioned to a new team jordan brand. jordan this is his first time i think. he's teamed up with danny hamlin and. you're driving the 23 car the jumpman. car. what's what's it been like and what's.

your expectation with this new new team. yeah it's actually been really well. really going things are going smoothly. and that's from my point of view you. talked to crew chief and competition. director they're like we need a lot more. time so. for us i was actually in the shop today. um getting seat belts fitted getting the. seat fitted right so it's crazy to think. that it's already january 14th so. basically halfway through this month in. two weeks two and a half weeks we're. heading down to daytona so there's a lot. of moving parts that we still have to.

get going for us but i'm uh i'm excited. and pumped with the direction that we're. heading um. having conversations with people that. have been around jordan uh that that are. part of our team is helping everybody. grow together and kind of understand the. expectations and so i've yet to meet mj. in person but we've really shared some. some text messages back and forth yeah. um i think the weather's too nice down. in florida for him to come on up here. i'm not not time to speak for him though. but um but yeah i think it's uh i think.

it's going to shape up to be a really. great year for us we get through the. first couple races it'll be good well. you do know i don't know how much you. haven't met him but i don't know how. much you've heard about him but he's not. a guy that you know is gonna take time. he's not a time type of guy he's a guy. that wants to win. now immediately like yesterday so i. think i'm i'm safe to to my first. encounter with mj was on the phone denny. hamlin had texted me hey are you free. around four o'clock today i'm like yeah.

sure so four o'clock rolls around if you. know denny he's he's usually a couple. minutes late so it's about 4 30 he calls. me he's like hey what are you doing. i was like just sitting here. messing around on my phone he was like. here's somebody i want to talk to you. and i had no idea mj where he was what. at the time and you just hear hey. if we do this deal there's no more. running in the back all right i'm like. that's easy. and i was like oh that's mj so that was. that was my first encounter with talking. to mj and so he's i know he's all.

business and so am i so i'm excited. about it. so. expect hey he said he meant that i mean. he said i'm sure he said in a joking. manner but he's absolutely for so what. what what are your expectations i mean. you know you got you gonna have the best. of the best this is no no. you know shoddy we might run 10 races we. might do five races this is full time. and you're you've got danny hamilton. you've got mj back in this thing 100. yeah yeah for sure and my mentality my.

mentality has changed my mentality. changed. when i watched the last dance it's like. okay all right i see i see what i need. to be like as an athlete if i want to. reach these goals and this is what i. need to be like i mean you put that no. fear and put the fear of god and. everybody else mentality it's like okay. you know that's that's what you gotta. have and hearing stories about mj and uh. like i think i said he is he has people. from his camp being a part of this team. craig robinson got to meet him talk with. him he said for his motorcycle team he.

would sit there on the grid and watch. certain drivers and riders and be like. look at the way he's walking he don't. want it he don't want it he ain't got it. and it's like. damn i better make sure i walk and talk. the right way so there's a lot of. pressure but i keep telling them after. the year we had of 2020 pressure is. nothing but a thing now. the daytona 500 is your biggest race. event obviously there are others you. know you got charlotte you got the 600. and you got talladega but there's. nothing like daytona the pageantry that. goes along with that what would winning.

that race. mean to you. and what you're trying to accomplish. i i think you know that that race. anybody can win the speedway races four. races that everybody in the field has an. opportunity to win. now you go out and capitalize on it's. very hard to do you know it's it's an. incredible feat for denny to be you know. back to back uh you know three-time day. 2500 winner right now and and uh and so. being able to do that i would love to. to.

start to shut up some of those haters. that are out there it's like okay you. know we got but knowing part of me. knowing that hey anybody can go win this. race if you line your your uh if you put. all your eggs in that basket dot your. eyes and cross your t's you know anybody. can do it so daytona would just be the. start of that and then we build off that. and then we go with us another one then. it's just like look in the mic. and or look in the camera and drop the. mic so that's that's kind of what we're. expecting. you're on the final lap. your boss denny hamlin you're in second.

and you might have to bump in running or. you might have to do something that you. you know if it's anybody else other than. your boss you might you no problem. what would you be willing to do to win. that race the final lap your boss is in. first bubba wallace is in second what. would you be willing to do to win that. race. well let me say denny's minority denny's. minority owner mj's majority owner so.

okay. so. for me. i've always. you race how they race you and if he. didn't wreck me to get by me then i. won't wreck him but i'm gonna do. everything but that to win my first race. to win the day 20. all right look i. understand you but you said you do. everything but wreck him if he didn't. wreck you well if he if he wrecked you. you probably wouldn't be in that. position. so you might have to give you better. wreck me good enough he better wreck me. good enough so i don't get back to that. position. you i mentioned earlier you came from.

the richard petty who's the the. godfather of nascar the king sir he's. the king yes and and i i grew up. being from rural south georgia and i. knew richard petty and kell yarbrough. and the allison and sterling yeah. all those guys harry gatt and uh. bill elliot austin bill from dawsonville. he's from georgia what was it like to be. around him to pick his mind and to to to. hear. how he looked at racing as opposed to.

how you viewed racing. yeah it was totally different so there. was obviously a huge error error gap. there uh from when he climbed out to. when i climbed in and. and hearing the stories between there's. there's no. there's not a better duo in the racing. world than richard petty and dale inman. and you know there's a lot of people. that i will miss. from that organization but those two. guys are at the top of the list. just from hearing those stories and so i. mean they were they were racing you know.

three or four times out of the week. driving to california on monday being in. new york on wednesday and it's just like. holy cow so. all those stories that you heard of what. they gone through what they had to do. breaking down on the side of the road. driving the race car to the racetrack. you know those are those are the true. american badass hero days back then and. while things have changed and evolved. and gotten much bigger and faster and. lighter and whatever you want to call it. the racing is totally different from. back then. and so you had to learn how to adapt.

that and and both of them get you know. uh richard for both of them being in. their 80s. it's incredible how in tune they were. with the race cars with the the format. of the races whatever the ins and outs. of nascar they were in tune with what's. going on so while it was a little. difficult hearing someone hey this is. what we tried back here in the 70s and. 80s try this and it's like well it's a. little bit different now we're a little. bit faster the cars are built a little. bit different so it was good to hear and. and.

understand the knowledge that they went. through and that they utilized to to be. the best that they can be. please tell me that when you drove for. those three years if i'm not mistaken he. drove or drove dodges so he had all the. hemis the big so he had the cudas and he. had the challengers and the chargers and. the super bees. please tell me as a part of your deal. you ended up getting one of those. i did not and maybe that's maybe. it's coming down the road we had a great. partnership with chevrolet when i jumped. on so.

uh. yeah i didn't i didn't get that in the. deal the first thing i got for him which. i thought was cooler than anything this. is when i filled in those four races in. 2017. uh before signing on full-time he called. me up he said hey i want you to come up. to the to uh level cross to petty's. garage the museum and at the end of that. tour got to see all the the race cars. there the dodges and everything and he i. walked away with one of his cowboy hats. that he signed and this was before i was. a part of the the team or anything. full-time and i thought that was one of.

the coolest things so it's a centerpiece. here downstairs in my living room that's. a great conversation piece for sure but. it's it's a centerpiece on my table. always have that. pre-covered. what is it like. at one of those race tracks to hear. a hundred thousand two hundred thousand. fans and to hear that cry as you go. around that track because you can hear. hear it building and then the fight and. when it's coming down to the end okay. you got the final couple of laps and.

then everybody is on their feet. it's it's. there's nothing like it you know there's. i just can't wait until. everyone is safe and healthy from covent. and we get you know the vaccines in. place and just get this virus out of. here um. i can't wait for the fans to come back. for uh to full capacity because. everything that went on in 2020 has. brought a new demographic has brought a. different face to nascar and i want to. see that in person and i want to feel. that vibe and that energy and i feel.

like it'll be much greater than anything. that we've had. you know different from what other. people say i strongly believe that the. vibe that nascar is putting out right. now we have a lot of momentum behind. what we're doing and so pre-covert. it was great. and i can only imagine it's going to be. 10 times better than that once we can. get back to that that that category of. no no fear of having a virus or anything. like that you got 30 30 40 cars on the. track. 840 horsepower.

can you hear the crowd over all the. engine noise. no i can't you know when we're in the. car we're we're you know we're locked in. we got spotters and crew chiefs talking. to us but um. no i i cannot hear the crowd i wish i. could but we we still put on the show if. we can't hear them or not. you know. i'm interested to to know. how much like if i'm playing obviously. if i'm gonna play a game to super bowl. i'm gonna go practice you know tennis. you practice golf you practice how do. you practice in nascar how much of an.

actual going to the course and driving. and how much is the simulation. well it's. 95. simulation we don't practice anymore um. you know there's no cars too expensive. too too risky. a lot of a lot of it has some funding to. do with it uh they're trying to bridge. the gap from the big teams to the small. teams right you know back in say 10. years ago you could go test monday. through through friday and you know you. could test monday through sunday if you.

had a sole test team to go out and do. that while while we're racing on sundays. so. um but then you started seeing some of. the disadvantages for the smaller teams. they couldn't afford that and so now. it's about 10 to 15 tests that nascar. puts on they send one car from every. organization to come out and test and be. a part of it if they if the teams allow. that or if they if they choose to do. that um but now with covid testing is. out and then now with the schedules. we're showing up and just racing and so. now it's gone all to simulation so i'm.

on a new. schedule with the toyota being a part of. the trd family you know being up at the. simulator every wednesday now a couple. hours or a few hours a week doing that. stuff figuring out what we need figuring. out you know what helped us this weekend. implement that in the next weekend and. get a feel for it you know it's not 100. true to feel but it still gives you a. general idea of what to expect when you. unload and it gives the engineers uh. some data to look at to get that much. closer you just it's we're fighting for.

thousands of an inch three thousandths. of an inch you know that's you can't. even i can't even show you that on my. hands. but that's what we're fighting for. that's how you get that edge in front of. people. how you know and like i'm trying to. equate what you do to what we do. like if i play one opponent i might have. a certain group of plays and then i. played the next opponent i have maybe. some of those same plays but add some. different plays on how much is ra how. much different is it from track to track.

it's it's very different as much as you. know there's we call in the the cookie. cutter tracks the the mile and a half's. that all kind of look the same the. charlotte's the texas the kansas they. might look the same but they told. totally race different like it's. it's uh you know some places have a lot. of character a lot of bumps nooks and. crannies that you gotta muscle around. texas is mainly one groove right around. the bottom charlotte is from the bottom. lane to the top and bumpy and so you. just got to figure things out and so you. have a notebook you have you know the.

the debrief notes from years prior races. prior where. you are. oh this is what we did here you're. rolling out of the break here you're. picking up the break here you're picking. up the gas here certain things like that. so it's it's pretty similar to for you. playing different opponents it's like. okay we got to bring this set of rules. out we put this one back we put this. back on the show bring this one out so. yeah you definitely go through a lot of. um of different. mind changes mindsets for uh different. race tracks. i'm i'm curious because okay they say a. car just to just say for the sake of.

arguments a particular car gets. my car gets 35 miles to the gallon but i. need to do x y and z in order for it to. get that 35 miles to the gallon you. might say well i can go 20 laps on a get. on on the tank of gas or however many. laps you go. how much variance is that for speed if. you say i'm going to go somewhere. between 155 180 and if i go three or. four laps i'm going 175 to 190. so how. much variance is that as far as gas.

mileage and what you're doing actually. in the car yeah well there's there's a. lot of variance especially at the. speedway stuff because. you think everybody's just wide open. turn left and why not but it's funny the. leader is. mainly the only one that's wide open. everybody else is saving fuel we're. riding around riding around half. throttle quarter throttle yeah like. trying not to use as much fuel and that. that that number starts to rise that all. of a sudden your strategy starts to come. into play oh we can pit on lap 19. ah he.

just got another lap for us now we can. put on lap 20. then you start you know. plugging in those numbers this is why i. just drive so i'm taking my best. educated guess because i'm not trying to. go against my engineers here. but there's a lot of variants at the. speedways and then even at even other. racetracks so it's like hey we need you. to save like a lap and a half of fuel. here you start to do different things. shut the car off while you're racing. entering in the corners using the clutch. to re-fire it get back going there's a. lot of things we can do inside the race. car to. to uh.

to. advance or prolong our fuel mileage does. anyone outside of you and your team know. you're actually doing that can the fans. in the stands tell that because i know. we can't tell that at home i've only. been to a handful of racetracks i went. to sonoma which is the road course which. is totally different than anything. there's big speedways because it's a lot. of you know you get up to like a quarter. of a mile and you go for it and then you. back into a corn or curve so that's very. but does anybody else know. besides you and your team that you're.

actually doing that in the car well it. depends on who's listening um you know. now with the access to that that fans. have that the media has everybody can. listen to what we're saying and so when. the spotter the crew chiefs comes over. and it's like all right we need to go in. fuel saving mode then tv picks up on. that and it's like oh 23 car is out. saving fuel we might have an in-car. camera that weekend then they can come. in and hear it all so yes anybody if. they're listening at the right time at. the right moment they can understand and. hear it.

you're driving for jordan now and to. have. that 23 or you have that jumpman logo. you know what that logo represent that. logo more than anything represents. excellence it. represents clutchness it represents if. bubba wallace's have a chance to win the. race within the last two three four laps. bubba wallace needs to make sure that 23. car is in victory lane. yes absolutely i know it's a like i said. earlier it's a total different mind.

shift that i've i've gone through and. i've been racing for 17 years and i. can't remember a time like this where. the opportunity is so high. and you know. myself being mentally prepared. physically prepared to capitalize on. that that's the biggest thing i have to. make sure i show up for 36 weeks with a. hundred and fifty percent effort jordan. wants on 200 so let me let me restate. that i got to show up with 200 effort. now he's going to text me he's like no i. want 300. it's always he wants more and. and i love that mentality i love that.

that pressure that's going to come with. that and it's going to motivate you and. emote not only myself but for chief. engineers people at the shop we have to. execute and be on it from the time we. roll out for daytona until we pack up at. phoenix we have to be on it and so. there's going to be some bumps and. mistakes along the way for myself from. our crew but we're in us together as a. team and as long as we minimize those. mistakes and put our best foot forward. each and every each and every weekend. and give it our all then hey that's what.

we got. this sport more than any is. is about sponsorships it's not like the. nfl where everybody you have a salary. cap everybody gets to spend up to here. and nobody can spend below that it's. like that in a lot of sports baseball. it's a free for all you spend as much as. you want and i know it's been somewhat. challenging for you an african-american. in the sport of nascar that's been. predominantly white since its inception. talk to me about how. much of a disadvantage that's been in.

your racing nascar and now you have. someone that michael jordan can go out. and get those corporate dollars to help. you become a more can put you in with. the uh. all those uh because low skis the danny. hamilton even though he's a minority. owner those guys to put you right there. on the level playing field. yeah well in years prior we're always. fighting for that and i was trying to do. everything i could off the racetrack on. the racetrack to attract those sponsors. and. you never know how they're going to come. about and we look at 2020 and everything.

that went on there. uh bringing in brand new partners into. the sport with doordash columbia root. insurance you know having mcdonald's. come on board for sure they've been a. part of my program for a couple years. now. and and dr pepper uh those five partners. i got to see our schedule. for for this upcoming year and there's. not one empty slot. not one empty slot and years prior.

years prior it's been eight 15 slots. that are open and we were questioning we. were looking at each other like. how are we going to make this work we. always did we always did but hey knowing. that we are fully funded throughout the. year i had to pat on my pat on the back. to my my my camp uh i'll give a pat on. my back to myself but just everything. everybody in my corner has helped me get. to this position um it's gonna be a heck. of a year we got no excuses that was my. motto coming into this year no excuses i. got the funding i got the car i got the.

people just gotta have the driver so. we're good. you also drove for joe gibbs um i played. in the league i'm old enough to remember. i played against some of his team coach. gibbs team what was it like what type of. man i know he's a man of faith but what. time what was he like around the track. the same as as what you know that's. that's you know that's very powerful. because that's how i like to align. myself what you see. me talking to you today. is how we would be sharing a drink here. on the couch here wherever you're at you.

know hanging out i don't change for. anybody anything and and that's how. coaches coach wants to win he has that. winning mentality but he doesn't change. who he is you know depending on where. he's at he's that same man same man of. faith great great guy to be a part of uh. aligned with and uh honored to say i've. raced for him and kind of racing for or. with him this year with the partnership. with toyota and jjr there. let's get to nascar we know what nascar.

has been a predominantly white sport. since its inception. product a lot of the majority of their. fans i'd say 95 to 98 of their fans have. been white. you're the lone full-time black driver. normally when people are. the only they tend to sit back i don't. want to ruffle any feathers i'm happy to. be here i don't want to cause a ruckus i. don't want anybody to look at me why was. it so important for you to say nascar. there's some things that's going on here.

that's not right and if we try to build. get you know. build and and bring more people we're. going to need to change some things why. was it so important for you to take that. that stance. you know i don't know if it's. necessarily important or. it is don't get me wrong it is important. but i think that's part of my. personality i'm not a person to sit back. and not want to ruffle any feathers i am. the if you've seen in years past my. mouth's got me in trouble a lot it's. it's gotten me some good deals it's got. me some bad deals and i'm the one to.

cross the boundary and and apologize. later ask for forgiveness later you know. and this was something that. you know a lot of it came from talking. to or seeing what others had to say. and so you were kind of peer pressured. into it a little bit not saying that i. was pushed to say what i wanted to i was. just like you know what. there's a point here let me do some more. research and understanding of what's. going on and figure out how we can make. this a better place for everybody and. and i was just like you know what social. media is so powerful it's the quickest.

way to help you and it's quickest way to. hurt you. pick your poison which way you want to. go right and sometimes you're trying to. go one way and it ends up another and so. you just have to be. comfortable with what you're saying. comfortable in your own skin what you're. doing. and uh for me i just was like hey. this needs to change. this needs to stop. we got to do better and let's make this. a more inclusive place and. uh. while there was everything's 50 50 glass. half full glass half empty there's a lot. of good that come out of there was a lot.

of bad that come out of it but. so be it i think i think actually there. was more good to come out of what the. changes have made for nascar the biggest. thing for us is okay we can't get. stagnant we have to keep going we have. to keep pushing for more there's a. never-ending process in the direction. that we're heading so what are we doing. what are we gonna do. to to keep making this more inclusive. for everybody to be a part of them. the confederate flag was prominent. in front it's. way proudly behind those campers those.

winnebagos those trucks. you as an african-american understanding. what that flag actually meant and how. many people died behind that flag. what what was your feelings. like seeing that flag knowing that you. had to go. race those tracks and then what was the. conversation like when you had you had. with nascar saying guys. it's got to change. so honestly shannon i i didn't.

understand the full effect of that flag. until this past year okay. this was this was another flag to me. like. i i kind of knew. like the rebel flag right you know never. really i kind of just kept it at that. and then didn't really say confederate. flag and then starting to see more. conversations and and i remember certain. tweets um. i'll never go to a nascar race because. of the confederate flag or i'll never go. back to a nascar race because of that. and i'm like.

and i'm like hold up come out let me. confederate flag type it in do my. research which a lot of people don't. want to do nowadays they're just so. quick to jump to conclusion it's like do. your research get an understanding for. yourself do your due diligence so i did. that and i'm like okay this is causing a. lot of of hurt and pain and it's. isolating. you know our demographic to where we're. at and it's like we i know for a fact. that nascar provides so much more. opportunity than what. it's given and what what it's labeled as.

and so how do we get past that barrier. let's start with confederate flag okay. this is going to be a. bold move risky move for a lot of people. we're going to lose some fans now you. know you go bubba you know you knew as. an african-american because they could. say okay you come in here you upset an. apple car you knew you were going to. take some criticism for this right. oh abs every just by me waking up saying. good morning i start criticism i i learn. that okay okay there's people that don't. like that you woke up breathing okay i i.

have accepted that a long time ago okay. so it doesn't matter if i'm handing out. 100 bills to people they're just mad at. that so i've i've stopped caring about. what other people think okay and and so. i knew going into it it's like okay. get ready roll your sleeves up because. it's about to get feisty and you've seen. a lot of people leave the sport never. going to pay attention to the sport. again but those are the same people that. are still tweeting at you. bad things and it's like i thought you. were gone are you still here or what.

move on or not yeah. yeah when are you going to win when. you're going to win a race bubba. exactly it's like bro you're you're. barking up the same old tree like okay. give me a chance here we got it so okay. uh yes i knew going into that it was. going to be a lot but hey nascar was on. board everybody in my camp was on board. the drivers the teams crew members. everybody a part of the whole sport was. on board with the direction if they. weren't then they were gladly showing. the door and that was it. how do you.

yeah sure the drivers the crew chiefs i. mean i'm sure maybe something like that. is the wrong flag but how do you. convince the hundred thousand. that's been doing it this way for 70. plus years because you mentioned you. want to make it more inclusive which. means you want others other that doesn't. necessarily look like them to come and. have an enjoyable experience at the. track like they're having. how how do you convince the fans that. they can still enjoy the track without.

that flag flying. so i have seen. there's there's. three people. three types of people the ones that will. never accept change. the ones that will consider change and. the ones that are like okay yeah this is. changing and i'm all for it. those are the people that are doing the. homework and seeing. that life is much bigger than themselves. it's about our brothers and sisters and. our neighbors and making this a better. place. and so while it's like okay the ones.

that aren't going to change we don't. want you the ones that are considering. it let's let's have a drink let's have a. beverage let's talk about it let's let's. get you on the other side of the fence. then you decide if you want to go that. route if you don't we ain't pushing you. we're just trying to help educate and. the ones that are for the change it's. like okay give us some time we're coming. up with a game plan we're going to keep. this going and so that's that's what. we've kind of looked at as a whole of. like okay here's the three sections that. we got we got. 75. 000 people over here that won't change.

we got a 150 here. in the maybe considering it and then we. have 300 okay we're gonna target this. area we're not you know those people. appreciate your time but we are we are. moving on with or without you. memorial day weekend. um george floyd. and then we you saw the uprising and. people like. watching a man die on live television. and then you see the athletes from. lebron james and to serena williams and.

all the. proof football players. what did bubba wallace feel and what did. you feel your responsibility and what. did you want to do to get your message. out and says america enough is enough. we got to be better. yeah it's just so tough because. people. people see it as and and people of color. understand it totally. and it's hard for people. that are not of color because it's like.

well this doesn't affect me. right well. that's. yes but no that's that can't be a way of. thinking. exactly and it's like. this should affect you because at the. end of the day take skin colorado this. is human beings this is people. right you wouldn't want your family. treated like this so why are you letting. some person that you don't know being. treated like this. and so. trying to convey and orchestrate that. message and get that out to your peers. and your colleagues has been another.

challenge. uh and getting them to understand. because you know inside our walls inside. our four walls of nascar there was. five or six of us that that would say. something. and that leaves 35 34 of the people out. there that are silent. and it's just like this ain't the right. look. you know you guys got to step up in a. powerful way in a positive way. and so. uh while we're still working on that you. know for me it was this was you know.

i've gone through racial discrimination. from law enforcement i i've. just to an extent obviously i'm here to. tell my story and we've lost a lot of. of of people a lot of wonderful people. to. you know uh law enforcement just abusing. their authority and it's like man this. is. what is this going to change and how how. do we get it how do we make it to where. you know this is the most important. thing talked about and a lot of people. they'll say shut up and dribble shut up. and play football keep politics out of. the sports you know.

because they look at us as the. entertainment and they don't want to see. us as anything else you're an. entertainer that's it. nah brother we are people and then when. this starts affecting us that's when it. rises us up to say something now all of. a sudden that whole entertainment role. is out the window yeah we still go. entertain because that's what we do. that's what we know but at the same time. we are going to. try to make this world a better place. for our kids coming up through our next. generation coming up through so get with. that or move on because this is what's.

happening and so. while sports have have. been in a position to talk and use their. platforms which is so powerful and i. encourage all athletes. from all backgrounds to do there's still. a lot of work to be done. you look at what happened a couple of. weeks ago where people were upset at the. election. they lost it was a fair election it was. free election it was the most secure. election in the history of our country. but. the person that they wanted to win did.

not win and they felt the recourse that. they needed to take. was to overthrow basically a coup to. overthrow the government and put our guy. in place again. it's the very thing. that you notice bubba when blacks have a. grievance if they have a complaint if. this country's so bad leave. it's almost as if we this is our country. we have a right to criticize this we. have a right to complain black shut up.

be grateful that you're here you get. gainful employment and we don't want to. hear from you so. what how do how do we how do we convince. those. to see us as equal to say we have flesh. and we have skin in the game also. i think if we knew that answer be a much. better place. so. i think i think you know. there was a show of entitlement that. we've seen there at the capitol and. [Music].

and. you know i think that's the same show. that we have when we show up to the. racetracks or the basketball courts it's. like this is our court right you know. but. this is on a much broader scale take. take out sports take out this is. dictating how our life is run and and. controlled basically correct um. and it's like. okay like you said we have skin in the. game too. why can't we express that why can't we. show that. i don't know why it's not allowed just.

because. only i think they scared us. no. i i think some a lot of this has to do. bubba they look at it if you're like. black and successful why do you care. about someone that's black and not. successful why do you care if you have. if you have a you live in a gated. community you have nice cars you have a. nice bank account shannon why do you. care about them. because. i'm human because i have something. called empathy i have something called. compassion and.

it's just not i i've never looked at it. but i don't know and i don't want to. speak for you and i want to speak for. anybody else but i've never been one. that says because i have everything as. well as well in the world that's not how. i look at it that's not how i was raised. nope nope if i show up in a nice car i'm. i'm hesitant i'm not the boastful like. oh check me out this is what it is what. it's all about you know this is like hey. if you work hard you can get to these. levels one day and i encourage everybody. to work hard and do what you got to do. and and push people to be better from.

all aspects that's what that's what it's. about it's about lending that helping. hand how can we get you to the next. level uh and whatever aspect it is in. life whatever job whatever career you. have you know how can you be better you. know seeing what i do is motivation use. that seeing what you do is motivation i. use that you know it's it's not being. the jealous type or or the too good for. one another because i know where i came. from. i have nothing. but if you work hard put your mind to it. anything is accomplishable and so.

it's just. man. it's it's so tough. to. to have all the correct answers and how. making this world a better place that's. why these conversations are being had is. to figure out all that and and for us to. sit down and have that dialogue have. that fellowship and then other people. will start to watch and latch on and be. like you know what these guys make a. pretty good point um but i think showing. that we all bleed the same we all cry. the same we all put on our pants the.

same way it's like. we're not saying we're better than you. you're not better than us we're all. equal. when can we understand that what what's. it gonna take. obviously the the looting the rioting. and whatever we've seen that was the. chaos capital that ain't the right way. that's just expressing your feelings. yeah sure but that still ain't the right. way to do things so we gotta see when. they did that they say those are people. that are pissed off. but when black see people we protest. inequality we protest uh police.

brutality we protest uh uh things of. that nature oh well well. it's an excuse excuse me excuses excuses. all day long. excuses are like elbows everybody's got. one. close i said that i said that the nice. way you know what i was gonna say yeah. since we're talking about social issues. one of the greatest americans one of the. most famous americans has a birthday. coming up dr mlk dr king.

what does he mean to bubba wallace and. what do you think if he was alive today. what do you think after what he had gone. through in the late 50s and 60s if he. was alive today. what do you think he would say. i think we want to know what that dream. was that he has. is this the part of that dream that he. had. [Music]. i i honestly i don't know i sit there.

and think about that a lot i think about. not to get off topic but i sit there and. think about how the music industry would. be different if poc and biggie were. around. how racing would be if dale hart senior. was around you know how how things would. be different if if the certain leaders. that we had in this world were around. right and. you know. i don't know what he would say he none. of us are happy so he wouldn't be happy. right. but maybe he would have more more push. to uh to create change i don't know.

that's just tough and i think about that. constantly from every aspect of every. profession whatever leaders music racing. sport whatever it is i'm always like. what would they say and i never have the. answers. what what. did your parents did your parents talk. to you about dr king i'm sure in your. situation they probably experienced some. things. that were very unpleasant what. what was it like with your background. honestly i grew up. in a diverse neighborhood i had friends.

from all backgrounds. i went to school in a majority white. school i would say i asked my mom this. uh. two weeks ago i was like hey do you know. the numbers on on northwest where i went. to school and she was like no i was like. majority like she was like yeah for the. most part and i was like. i would think so and but. i didn't i didn't understand know those. things i just thought every school was. the same you know right you know there's. all black school i i didn't understand. that stuff until i actually i got out.

and got to experience the real world. it's like oh okay you know there's. different demographics here and there. but for me. it's like hey if we if we treat each. other with respect then we can be. friends. and and if we don't it's not. it's not the respect deal obviously you. respect everybody but is if we don't. agree on something. this is what's wrong with the world. people hate you. because you say something different. instead of just being like huh i don't. agree with that i don't i don't hate him. but i just don't agree with that and. move on right.

you know i've had plenty of people come. through my life and say some. some hey the sky is red and i'm like i. don't agree with that i don't know if we. can you know vibe but hey have a good. day though you know whatever respect for. you. no it's it now now it's like what'd you. say okay now you know we gotta fight i. gotta kill you i gotta do this i gotta. hurt you because you said some dumb. stuff it's like that's it's not a place. we should be in a violence. and so for me. i didn't have it hard growing up i i. like i said i experienced those those.

run-ins with the law and hey you got. drugs or guns you have a nice car here. it's like. no i don't. but. i know why you're asking because the way. i look and that's not right but i can. buy you one if you want one big dog but. hey i didn't i didn't go there. right. dr king says life most pressing question. is what are you doing for others do you. feel. a sense of responsibility. that you're in the position the platform.

that you have not only to speak out but. to do. to make sure it's better for the next. generation because everybody keeps. saying it's going to get better it's. going to get better and i don't like you. man dr king. in your dream. how much worse did it get before it got. better. exactly. exactly and i think i think we all got. to go through adversity we all got to go. through a low point in life and. and i hope this is our low point i hope. it don't get much worse than this. because it's pretty bad across the whole.

board for for our world right now right. uh with this virus and then everything. that's going on in our nation. um. but you know god has a plan for all of. us and. and that's you know i kind of stand. behind that and everything happens for a. reason and it's so. it's so weird to think but things happen. for a reason and that's that's what it. is that's what i go off of and so i. don't kind of go too far off the deep. end and try to figure out why this. happened it's just because it did and so. i think you know we like i said we all.

got to experience some bad before we get. to the good in our life and and it's how. you it's how you come out of that bad. it's how that bad shapes you shape you. the right way the wrong way you got to. pick and choose your battles there. you you were in a program called drive. for diversity tell us a little bit about. the program. yeah so when we jumped on it was a brand. new year for in years past you went. through a uh combine type. deal competition based deal you had 60. drivers they would window it down to 10.

and then they would ship you out across. the states you know go to certain teams. you'd be there for a full season in. whatever series it was. and that was it and when i jumped in. everything was in house everything was. moved to rev racing right there in. mooresville. um. and. all the drivers were in the same team. crew chief same area like we were all. you know four k n cars six late models. like we were we were all in house. working together and um you know it was. it was documented on bet you know change. lanes we got the experience on off track.

publicity just as much as the on track. publicity uh coming out of the gates for. us winning uh me winning the first race. at greenville picking speedway there in. 2010. um and then kind of kind of you know hey. i'm i'm here i'm here in the sport i. want to make this my career and then we. went on to win uh four more races in. those two years um winning rookie of the. year. uh putting together a great kind of. foundation.

to uh the nascar ranks. and so you know now it's continuing. about to provide opportunities for. minorities that necessarily feel like. they don't have. the funding or the resources to get them. to that next level and so now it's like. okay we'll get you guys together you. send in your resumes we look it over. and if we think that you have it we'll. give you a shot doesn't mean you're in. we'll give you a shot. and they'll hold a. three or four day test session for all. the drivers and again window it down.

i think it's it's a little bit less i. think it's six now or so so the spots. are a little bit more slim but. you know if you show up with the with. the attitude the mindset that that. second is not an option. then uh you gotta show that and you. gotta carry that and that's that's the. one thing that you see kids coming up. through now. critics have said man this ain't nothing. but window dressing for affirmative. action how do you respond to that. obviously there's like i said glass half. full glass half empty this is a great. opportunity for minorities this is a.

handout for minorities. you you walk your walk you talk your. talk you. this is your path you stay on it don't. let the naysayers get in your head you. prove them wrong and once we win this. year i'ma prove everybody wrong. you were born in alabama you were raised. in north carolina which is north. carolina is considered the. nascar the racing capital of the world. and you you're in concord. around mooresville kannapolis i've been. up in that area i got my dogs from there.

what was it like growing up in north. carolina and did you always want to be a. race car driver or did you want to play. football basketball baseball how did how. did nascar get in your blood yeah so we. actually lived 10 minutes from the. speedway 15 minutes from the speedway. and. two times throughout the year i didn't. know that it was may in october. but it always happened to be at those. times and you hear race cars over there. and it's like what's that that's like. that's the racetrack over there it's. like okay i'm gonna go back outside and.

play with hide and go seek and tag with. my friends whatever. and that was that and i started playing. basketball at the age of five um. and did the little rec league stuff. and my sister she's five years older. than me she was uh she was playing. travel aau ball and so we were always. traveling around following her and and i. enjoyed it because her her um. her teammates had brothers and sisters. that we were all in the same age group. so we were out running around in the gym.

having fun and i would play basketball. when i'd get back home and then i when i. was seven and eight or no actually i was. eight nine i i jumped on the travel aau. ball team. and uh kind of thought that was my. career path loved playing basketball um. didn't really necessarily know of. anything else i remember going to the. speedway when i was probably five or six. with my parents for a dinner for. something i don't know why we went and. um i was like can we go home i'm ready. to go home.

and. when i was nine my dad had bought a. harley-davidson. uh took it to a bike shop to get it all. customized out. and the guy who owned the bike shop. called uh or invited us to come out one. weekend and uh we became really good. family friends even to this day. um and next thing you know it was like. sitting in the stands that weekend my. dad was like hey you want to try this. and i'm like sure why not i remember. going to the racetrack actually. um my dad had a go-kart. and i would go to the racetrack with.

them and i would play with the race cars. and the dirt and and do all that stuff. but that never was like i want to do. this right my dad flipped he raced three. times and he flipped every single time. he flipped three times. and so i definitely need my driving. skills from him um he was he's always. been a racing fan you know he's from. nashville that right my family part of. my family's from nashville so they raced. right there at the fairgrounds but it. wasn't until we were sitting in the. stands he was like you want to try it. and i'm like. sure why not and that was it we went out.

and bought a go-kart the next weekend. and started testing and running my first. race was a national event we wrecked out. cart was mangled and destroyed and i was. like hey can we fix it and get back out. there my dad was like all right we're. gonna be in this sport for a while once. i asked that so the rest is history. no no so basketball was first love and. then nascar no football no baseball i. did i did people football and i hated. practice i played football i remember i. will never forget this. i was a nose guard whatever position. that was basically the center when i was.

five years old. and. i i remember making a play or something. and i was so tired and i saw i walk over. to the sideline and everybody's like. looking for me where is he at and i'm. just sitting there like yeah where am i. at. and i'm like oh so they had somebody. else come out there i think that was my. last game i was like. that was the last type of football for. you huh yes that was the last. so your dad take you to the track at. nine years old asking do you want to try. it you go try it uh you wrecked the car. i mean you wrecked the go cart and then.

i remember we had a go-kart my brother. and i had a go-kart um we had a it came. in like three. uh. three uh horsepower five and an eight. eight was the biggest you could get yeah. uh uh for a go-kart that was a two. because it was we had a scene you had a. single seater and you had a two-seater. yeah my brother my brother had we had a. a a a two-seater red never forget and. then my brother bought one from my uh. cousins a black one that had a five. horsepower engine that was a single. seater so.

when you get started and i guess you go. from gold cars and you graduate the. midgets uh. how successful were you and did you were. you going all across the country racing. these things. yeah so we were covering about a four. four hour radius uh once we kind of. gotten established in the sport but uh. in our go-kart days we were racing uh in. virginia we were racing my first race. like i said was a national event in. florida first ever time basically on the. racetrack was in florida 300 carts so we.

were traveling kind of all over jasper. florida was that it was the was the town. they don't know if that speedway is. still there but uh. but it took us about a year and a half. we spent about two years in every series. we felt like that was the right amount. of time in every series and it's like. okay here's a new bigger and faster car. um but it took us out i don't know i. don't remember let's say six months and. it was like okay we're starting to. figure this stuff out i remember in. bandleros our first year was growing.

pains in the second year we won 35 out. of 48 races that year. and uh and we were traveling all over uh. and then legendary car days. did a lot of the kids look like you. because i'm thinking there's going to be. some resentment you win in that many. races as the only black and the majority. of them are. white they're like hold on what's going. on did they check your go-kart did they. think you had something special. oh. every week we got dq before we even got.

off the racetrack bro it was. it was it was pretty bad there for a. little bit we uh when we got to the. bandelero ranks um and legend car stuff. we were. our mentality i have a good friend that. we raced against each other now daniel. hamrick he said. he says we were either winning and. fighting. or losing and fighting we weren't going. down without a fight. i mean we were we were in your face. yelling calling every name in the book. but we were there to win and we were. done wrong in so many ways from the.

officiating to whatever was i'll never. forget we uh we had one legend car race. in uh at charlotte over at speedway. and and i go and do my interview and as. i'm coming in to pull in the tech my. dad's standing there pointing me by with. a very aggressive point like and i'm. like what's up supposed to pull in here. he's like nope they dequeued us they. said we don't know what you got but we. know you're cheating you're dq'd. go back to the hauler and uh and it was. like okay so that we kind of knew our.

place there it's like if they can't beat. us they're gonna protest us and. everything and hey. we got caught cheating one time that was. it. and it was for something that was some. bogus stuff but hey other than that we. won fair and square. i'm reading. so. i guess the the legends is kind of like. aau for basketball like you travel you. go around the country and the best team. from the in the age groups are all over. and. you're with so i guess if you know if i.

got a good aau traveling basketball team. and i'm winning all the tournaments. people are gonna naturally think i'm. recruiting the players so they got. you've got to be doing there's no way. bubble can win all these races 48 races. he wins 35. he got to be doing something. let's check his engine let's what what's. he doing that we're not they yeah they. always sources uh. you know suspected of yes suspicious of. something going on they never wanted to. accept.

the uh the experience or the the uh. talent that i had right but hey so be it. it's fun talking about those stories now. looking back on all that stuff seeing. where we came from where we went. i'm reading that your mom was the track. star at the university of tennessee. talk to me about your mom and her. influence on you and racing. yeah mom's been the backbone uh. from my sister and for myself and our in. our careers and. and it's been uh it's been cool to see i. remember i'll never forget kind of.

2009 2010 when we kind of signed on with. jgr. and that was kind of their big break you. know 2008 we spent a quarter of a. million dollars uh for for myself on the. to stay on the racetrack. and that was probably our best year in. racing for sure in the late models but. uh 2009. 2000 funny story about that 2009 was. when we signed on with jgr. and started getting you know a couple. grand here you go give you some oil give. you some product to help you out that. was our worst year ever i quit i quit.

halfway through 2009 i said we were. showing up to racetracks where we had. run second we had run top five at and we. show up in 2009 we were getting lapped. in the first 20 laps and i said i quit. i'm done i didn't come here to run. to run this bad and so we closed up shop. in 2009 and then luckily. the drive for diversity day is coming. about but my mom was always there. supportive of everything that went on um. and everything. you. you grew up in a biracial.

household which is. very difficult especially in the south. because on one side you're black but. they say you're not really black and on. the other side you're not you're. definitely not white so you caught it on. both sides so how. what was it like growing up in the south. from a bi-racial household. man. i i never felt like. i was just always that i guess. happy-go-lucky kid and just.

didn't didn't necessarily notice if. anybody was giving me a side eye or. treating me different i was just like. i was like man i guess he ain't cool. whatever and you just kind of move on. about it and you don't think of you. don't think about why it's just like. well hell i'm gonna go hang out and do. all the fun stuff you can sit over here. and be mad for whatever reason you're. mad about. uh but i honestly don't know of of how. bad i really had it and in those terms. i'm not saying everything was perfect. and i grew up in this you know wonderful. deal maybe that's a good thing.

maybe i was just so young and naive that. i was just like hey i'm ready to play. hide and go seek with friends let's do. it right and not really understand why. why can't why can't little johnny come. out and play today. because and then the parents will close. the door and it's just like okay you. must be in trouble. you know. and so not knowing that i was probably. the issue but anyways. um. i'm sure my parents got to. experience a lot unfortunately but.

you know we didn't really. have those conversations of you know. hey we experienced this today you know. this is what happened it was i'm sure. they kept that to themselves but once we. got into the racing world we were able. to talk about a little bit more. wendell scott. um he's the only other black driver to. race full-time on nascar what was it. like meeting him and what does that mean. to carry the legacy because there. haven't been very many and they haven't. had the longevity that you seem to be. having.

yeah yeah i am you know being able to. know his family and and i'll never. forget meeting wendell scott jr. and hearing the stories about um. you know their dad and what he went. through and and and then being a part of. petty and knowing that how big of an. influence that uh petty was to to. wendell scott and giving them uh. basically hand me down parts and pieces. to to help him you know stay on the. racetrack and compete the following. weeks and so i just you know you know.

live for all those stories and knowing. how much of a pioneer he really was and. you know he i felt like i'm kind of like. him he's just there to race. he's not there for any other bulls bull. stuff that that's going on to. to you know to the media side of things. it's just like hey man i might look. different but hey we all still driving. you know 60 laps here let's give it our. all and then you know shake hands after. but it wasn't that easy for him uh as it. is today um but knowing that he just. wanted to show up and drive that's all i. want to do.

brother magic. i mean you drive cars let me ask you a. question if something goes on with your. car could you fix it. to an extent it's so it's so. engineer-based now it's so. engineer-based now that's gonna be my. excuse there's so much intricate stuff. that i wouldn't know what to do but to. an extent i could put some air in the. tires and fuel in the tank we could be. going. no i'm not talking about your race car. i'm talking about the car that you drive. every single day if something goes on. with that. oh i will see now now and those are so. intricate hey.

your uh your your blinker's not working. that that affects every something in the. fuel line and that affects something. it's like. geez. just give me the old school stuff i'll. be good. i'm reading the story about wendell. scott and how he would deny the trophy. in the winner's check. and he won he won a race by two laps but. he was denied the trophy and the check. yeah that's when uh. nascar was trying to find their way i'll. say that because this was obviously. different time uh in society and in our.

history to where you know coloreds. weren't accepted um and so him showing. up on the scene you know he wasn't. accepted from the sanctioning body and. obviously things have changed tenfold. now uh you know with me and and all the. african-americans that are a part of our. sport are welcome with open arms and so. you know seeing that it's like man. just it just makes you appreciate the. history and see. how far things have come and still how. far things have to go. and then i read that they denied him but.

once the fans left the track. they gave him the check they gave him. enough money to to cover his gas expense. and handed them the trophy to get back. to where he came from so basically it. wasn't about they knew he had won but. they couldn't give this man the winners. check and the presentation in front of. the fans yeah they said it was a uh. they. missed scoring yeah. oh we we had this miss scored here so. yeah so it's just it's just crazy to.

think that you know look at the. technology and the people that were in. place and how much of it went to. technology you know back then they were. people my mom had to do this one time. had to write down a hash mark for 250. laps. it's like if we knew the system hey give. me an extra lap so i'm ahead of the. field by a lap well it was that's how. people used to time and score people. you'd mark you'd cross the start finish. line you'd mark a lap you'd mark another. lap i would fall asleep if i was doing. that and so seeing how that has gone.

from people to now technology we have. timing and scoring we have transponders. and whatever it's just like man. crazy but still not acceptable. what are some of the other wendell. scott's probably the most uh uh famous. of the black but you got bill lester. willie t ribs elizabeth mark davis. there's so many um that obviously didn't. get the fanfare that wendell scott got. now you uh with social media and. television and marketing the way it is. now what are some of the other guys that.

influenced african-american drivers that. influenced bubba wallace. yeah i remember showing up when i was in. the legend car days and actually seeing. mark davis uh racing. and getting to know him become friends. with him and watch him come up through. the ranks and i remember sitting there. at hickory motor speedway when um. and my dad would be like you know watch. watch how mark's racing here because he. was fast he was really good and and you. know trying to learn from him uh. understanding the history and seeing. that bill lester was in the sport and i.

remember playing some old nascar games. and bill lester being you know one of. the drivers you can pick from and i. would pick him and i'm kind of thinking. like what my mindset was back then when. i was 10. 11 years old. was it was i picking him because he was. a black driver or i think it was because. i was like this is pretty cool so i'm. going to use him because he he looks. like me. and it's like okay i'm going to pick. bill here and and now actually i had a. great conversation with with uh with. bill lester last week.

on how we can make this uh better sport. for minorities coming up through uh and. just and motorsports in general better. for minorities so it's uh it's pretty. cool to see how everything come full. circle. well. when you really look at it. there's certain sports that are. kind of cost prohibitive especially for. minorities you look at golf you got. green fees you got clubs uh you look at. tennis you need to normally be a club. they're not a whole lot of public tennis.

courses and racing. um cars gold cars even at every level. gas is expensive parks is expensive how. do we get it so more minorities can get. in to get involved because it's right it. might be a little cost prohibitive for a. lot of minorities it is and that's. that's the guy's honest truth and. and you know those are the phone calls. that we've we've constantly from not. even minorities this this is coach gibbs. this is going to be denny hamlin michael. jordan calling up nascar and being like.

this is way too expensive lower the. price on this stuff so it's all of us. coming together as a collaborative group. to figure out how we can be more cost. efficient from. all aspects on the race car i mean every. every part and piece is x amount of. dollars that adds up to a multi-million. dollar bill. and uh you know even getting into the. lower ranks you know for me i got back. in the go-kart stuff about four or five. years ago and. i was dropping 3 500 bucks to five grand. uh just to get in the go-kart stuff and.

then spending. 1800 bucks on tires every week. like people don't have that and so it's. like man how do we how do we you know. cut the cost down a lot the supply and. demand is is is crazy right now. when you go to a race track and you see. people that look like bubba wallace. what are you feeling. uh. proud for sure because you know.

some i've seen though don't even know. who i am and that's totally fine. they got on some other gear and i'm like. i wonder if they know that there's. african-american out there you know i. need to be like yo. look here. um but i think it's it's super cool. there's been a lot of people coming up. through the ranks uh from drivers to. just fans that are minorities from. african-american background uh from all. backgrounds really that that want to be. a part of the sport or are tuning into. the sport so it's super cool uh i'm.

incredibly grateful for the. opportunities that i've had. and looking to further that looking to. further those relationships and just. make my name more of a household name on. the racetrack. i remember you showing up to the track. and you're driving the all-black black. lives matter car yeah i can't breathe. t-shirt yeah there's there there's just. something about look you're they're. different you can have a yellow car you. can have a green car but there's. something about a black car there's just. something about black maybe maybe.

because dale earnhardt and the. intimidator maybe he made it cache he. had the guy gore glasses on and you know. he would bump you and he do he pitch you. and and to win maybe that's what it is. but there's something about a black car. when you showed up in that car. what was going through your mind what. made you decide to say okay today is the. day that i'm gonna do this. well. listen to the irony that you say man. black is so sharp black cars are so.

sharp black people are so sharp too yeah. yeah. people don't want to accept that. um but that day that i think it was like. a week and a half before that that race. um. i was it was brought to me like hey this. race is unsponsored this was right. around blackout tuesday when that. movement was going through and i thought. my instagram feed was broken because it. was just a bunch of black squares i'm. like what's going on right now and then. i finally understood what it was uh it. was that day.

i was like hey what about a blackout. car for martinsville and i'm like that'd. be pretty badass that's cool let's do it. you know all black car no sponsors. and then we got to toss around some. ideas it's like well instead of a black. car or let's let's figure out an. organization or or something to kind of. give back. yeah cause to uh to give to. and and make it that i'm like okay. and so i it took me about 10 minutes and. i was like hey let's just put. black lives matter. just put that on there don't have to.

call directly to somebody and ask for. permission just put that on there. and so that was that was that that was. it and then uh richard petty was like. well let's put the piece symbol here. let's put some something on the hood and. i'm like right okay let's make this a a. love compassion an understanding car. that you know everybody can rally behind. well obviously you put that hashtag on. the car then you are everybody ain't. rallying behind it oh yeah it's like oh. you you stand for this you stand for.

that i don't know this and that i'm like. man. dang i should have put black lives. matter 2 on the race car t-o-o just to. be like hey my black my black live. matters you know just as much yours does. like hey just want to put that out there. but now it was it was a very. controversial deal but ended up being. one of the best races of my career for. sure a ton of fun that night at. martinsville and just uh just an. incredible moment for for a sport for. for the nation for the world really. you mentioned about your encounter with.

the police you got pulled over. talk about what happened and what was. going through your mind because you know. how sometimes encountered with. police officers and african americans. doesn't always end with a friendly. outcome yeah now for sure i was going to. my friend's house in virginia. on the first occasion and. got pulled over for not using my turn. signal. and going down 77 there and i was like.

okay. my bad. and. comes back hands me i think i got a. ticket for that and he he does the old. here's your license and registration. back wait a minute i guess this is a. nice car you got guns drugs or weapons. in here i was like. no i sure don't um. and he was like well mind if i search. your vehicle and i was like. no go ahead. and i was just like. not really understanding the moment. there.

until i talked to my family after and. and uh i was once i realized i quickly. realized they asked me to. get out of the vehicle i stood about 20. 30 yards away had three other cops show. up. and went through my whole car. didn't find anything i just got my car. cleaned that morning before i left so it. was spotless. and um and so that was they were like. well we didn't find anything have a good. day and it was like yeah i told you that. before this 30-minute ordeal. and so when i went up on my way i was. pissed i was frustrated called my mom.

and then went uh this was fast forward. no that was 2010. fast forward to about. 2017 2016. um going to the golf course. i believe and uh. and i'm going down highway three here. right here in kannapolis and a car pulls. out right in front of me and so race car. mentality you pull out right in front of. me you got. you got a couple seconds before i.

i want to hit you but i'm not going to. hit you because then that's obviously. insurance and stuff but i'll get i'll. get this close. and if my girlfriend's running with me. she hates that she freaks out i'm like. chill i know what i'm doing but i got. right up on the bumper of this car and. i'm like. what the hell go so i slammed on my horn. to go. because i was going. it was 55 so i was going probably 16 to. 55. and this car pulls out going 20 and so i. slam on brakes and everything so honk on. the horn throw on their hazards so i'm.

like okay obviously this person. is struggling with something that cars. beat it was an old beat or two. so i look nobody coming double yellow. lines hazards on so i go around them. pull up to the stop light three cops get. out. guns out of their holsters not pointed. at me not pointed at me they're like you. pull over here in this parking lot. and i was like oh undercover car and. they were like some bounty hunter type. people right. and so i'm like okay so i'll pull over.

here and i'm like pissed off at the. whole situation like it's like you guys. pulled out in front of me and it was. like well you passed us on a double. yellow line. well you pulled out in front of me well. you pass this on it's like. all right i ain't gonna win this. argument. and so they come over and it's like. uh i'm driving alexis at this time. and uh. and he walks over and he was like man. this is a nice car. can you afford it. what do you do. and i'm like what kind of boy driving. there yeah i said it doesn't matter what.

i do and yes i can afford it and i was. like. yeah yeah and i just because i wanted to. say yeah i can have you one here. tomorrow too big boy. but i did because then because then that. would have been another hashtag so that. that's you know what i hate i hate when. they do that when you pull me over and. you get look you can either write me a. ticket and tell me to slow down but i'm. not gonna let you lecture me. and give me a ticket now you're gonna be. able to do one or the other and whatever. you do don't patronize me man this is a. really nice car bro just go ahead and.

write the ticket and let me be on your. way because i ain't got a whole lot of. conversation for you i ain't got. anything i just want to get on my way. yeah but you did you i'm reading that. you had a cousin. that lost his life at the hands of the. police yep yep um. i. was eight years old i believe whatever. however old you are in fourth grade i. remember fourth grade. and uh we were in somewhere we may have. been here i want to say we were in. indiana or something at a basketball.

tournament for my sister. and uh. i remember running through. i remember eating one of those big. remember those big fat but you still get. them the big fat pickles in the packages. the spices yeah i don't i don't mess. with pickles no. okay all right well i remember having. one of those and running around the gym. and whatever and i'll never forget this. day we were in the parking lot and i. just hear the most terrifying scream. from my mom. and i'm like eating my pickle. like what's going on what happened. and.

it was our cousin. sean uh was shot and killed uh the night. before. and or maybe early that morning i think. it was early that morning two or three. a.m that morning but they said uh they. said that they were at the gas station. there in knoxville at a weigles. there in um. in knoxville and they were playing loud. music like a little little block party. at the gas station they said the clerk. got scared of all the black people there. called the cops. and um.

and they said that. um there was one officer on the side of. the car there's one officer at the back. and they said my cousin let's go reach. for a gun but. there wasn't. there was a gun but it wasn't on his. side of the car. and. that was uh that was that he was shot in. the back. wow. yeah. so that that had a lot to do with. your perception of how the the unfair. treatment and how sometimes and how.

police look at black. motorists as opposed to how they look at. our counterparts. then at eight years old i was just like. no not then but now oh yeah now yes for. sure for sure i got a total different. understanding. when i was about 14 i was like. oh. i see why he was killed now. you know uh then i was just like wow we. just lost our cousin you know and that. was that. my parents everybody else knew but when.

you're that young you don't think about. you you just think about a loss in the. family and my family still agrees over. that to this day um you know it's funny. i just passed through knoxville um for. our christmas break and. you see. uh weigls and all you can think of is is. that moment and uh and so yeah we've. lost uh we've lost family to that you. know what i've always wanted to know. this because i go back and forth and i. hear a lot of race car drivers say they. are athletes.

what type of physical conditioning what. type of. shape. i know you got to be in mental shape. because you can't have an off moment. you're going 180 miles an hour and. you're two inches away from another car. uh car or the wall so i get i get the. mental but what type of physical. shape do you need to be in to be in a. race car for 500 miles or six or 600. miles. yeah so back when obviously pre-covered. um you know. i'll tell you my little secret.

what i was doing. i was sitting my happy ass on the couch. every day not doing a dang thing. i wasn't working i hate working out it's. just i get so just sidetracked and. unmotivated and then and so but. pre-covet we were there from thursday to. sunday every weekend. and you were getting your workout from. driving the cars they're not the easiest. thing to drive. and so. there's no power steering. yeah there's power steering but oh you. got power steering in those cars yeah. yeah we got power steering yeah i.

thought you were getting i mean so what. yeah i'm not sure about formula one but. we have power steering but it's not it's. not uncommon for a power steering line. to blow off and then next thing you know. you that's when we need muscles like you. to get around the racetrack. so. uh knock on wood that hasn't happened to. me uh so hopefully it doesn't but. now this year like i said my mentality. changed after watching last dance and. watching if you haven't seen it the f1. documentary i think drive to survive or.

something like that yeah um watch that. and seeing their mentality those guys. are obviously you've got to be very lean. and fit to be in those cars yeah just to. fit in those cars. yes you get slim those all everything. every driver is super slim and tall. either small and skinny or tall and. skinny right um but. you know it kind of changed my mentality. it's like okay i can't sit here and just. be lazy the whole time i actually got to. get up and work out and so years prior. it was probably the first three races.

i was sore and whatnot but then you get. into a rhythm and you kind of start. getting that workout back in well when. covet hit. whoo. there's no more practice you're jumping. straight into the race for right four. hours 400 laps whatever it is it's like. damn i need to start working out so uh. signing on with toyota this year. bringing that relationship back i was. like hey i need to get up. in the gym and be a part of the trd you. know organization and facility that we. have here in north carolina so it's uh. it's been good i've been in the gym a.

couple times a few times a week which is. way more than i have been in the gym uh. in the last three years so i will say. that well i know carl edwards uh i i've. seen him work out and i've seen him in. men's health and i think jimmy johnson. is a big big workout for that he's. triathlon yeah he's just running iron. man's and stuff yeah so you're moving. that other than that all of us are kind. of like hey i'm doing some workouts yeah. yeah it's it's more it's more just kind. of work it out yeah yeah exactly all. them dr pepper's i got a drink so.

what is it like to i mean obviously you. have all this equipment you're strapped. in the doors are welded shut. but to hit a wall going 150 plus miles. an hour it's not it's not the fun most. fun thing that you can do um. you know i've had my fair share of. hitting the wall uh our brakes went out. there pocono and. i thought i was i thought i was dead. just the way the angle that i was going. to hit at and luckily at the last second. it turned a different way and and was. able to walk away from and climb back in.

the following week but uh it hurts it. hurts for sure the initial impact you. brace for impact and that's it but you. know it's it's inevitable it's gonna. happen you just have to uh be able. mentally when you're younger know if you. hit the wall it's like everything's. gonna be all right you just gotta get. back in and keep doing it. what's bubba wallace personal car. personal car right now i got uh i got my. new 2021 toyota 4runner on the way so. right now i'm in a loner 4 runner right. now.

what's your favorite car of all time of. all the cars that bubba wallace has. owned what's his favorite um. my dream car. has been an audi r8. okay. and i may not have treated myself to my. dream car in recent weeks. if if you could have any if you could. have any car. um old school new if you could have any. car i mean from a 68.

mustang or or you know whatever it may. be 250 for gt ferrari whatever it could. be if bubble water could have you get. one car what you taking. 19. 1960s. porsche 356 a. little speedster yeah. those things are going for about 200 300. 000 so i got to win a couple races for. that. but that's that's my next car since you. you you're a race car i'm assuming most.

of you guys. have lead feet. and you have a problem with speeding. does bubba wallace have a problem with. speeding. from time to time if you take the old. audi out you know it's yeah for sure um. but honestly i look at it from. a standpoint. of the safety of the race cars is way. better than a street car oh and i can. get out i can get out after hitting the.

wall at 200 miles an hour i ain't. getting out if i hit the the barrier or. a tree at 200 miles an hour on a street. car so i know my limits and i'm good. obviously in north carolina you drive. for team brand jordan now do you get an. opportunity to go to get the very many. hornets game. and what do you think about lamello ball. thus far. uh so i've been to a few in my uh. in my lifetime uh i see i'm not really. i'm more of a collegiate football. tennessee fan obviously and uh and so.

hold on. you born in alabama you grew up in north. carolina how the hell are you. it took you that long to ask that. question yes for sure uh hey all i know. is is tennessee owner my mom's from. obviously knoxville my dad's from. nashville my family's big ut fans so i. was kind of just thrown into it but i am. alabama over auburn i will say that. but yeah i think uh you know obviously. my uh charlotte hornets days will go up. a little bit more and then.

i. i'm watching what lamelo ball is doing. um and it's good i've seen his some of. his stats today actually for the rookie. stats so it's pretty cool to see and i. think there's a i think there was talks. about a little crossover happening with. with him and myself so we'll see yeah. what's your favorite. your favorite team sport your favorite. team. favorite team. i mean. charlotte doesn't have. too good of a reputation of.

professionals. because i already know you attended you. you have tennessee football yeah. tennessee football fan oh man. professional. i kind of just have certain people that. i've i've got to meet and and respect. and grow from so right now. i will say right now i'm pulling for the. saints because of alvin kamara and he. was he was from tennessee badass running. back he's going well you know he. actually he's originally from georgia he. went to alabama also so i just thought. that we're all just messed up see we. always have scenes in there somewhere.

we're all messed up. so i'm pulling for them. other than your boss michael jordan your. favorite your favorite basketball player. um. man i was always an mj fan. um. right now. that's tough. i'm a big lebron fan. so i know that's right up there with you. so yeah yeah yeah you know. i'll go. you know what i'm reading here that.

you're a big drake you know drake is. your favorite artist. anybody ever call you drake do you guys. get mistaken i've gotten out a lot a lot. i'm like man i've gotten drake and. russell wilson so it's just i guess it's. the hair i don't know we got. the. so so what before a race what are you. listening to are you listening something. to get you up or are you listening to. something to chill shade jill scott. something mellow. i like some jill scott i like some. anthony hamilton some alicia yes like.

that you know um but i am a metalhead i. am the heavy metal screamo death metal. metal core. that's me. and as crazy and loud and screaming that. is. that's what calms me down if i'm. listening to some. to some anthony hamilton or something i. am jamming i am pumped up i am just in a. total different and as to where it's the. metal stuff it's like okay let's mellow. out here let's enjoy this let's. let's get ready bubba thanks for the.

time bro i really appreciate it good. luck. we need about we need at least we need. at least four wins we get i'll tell you. what when daytona and i don't care what. you do after that. i said two years two wins this year. we'll start there we'll start if one day. total. we good we're good that's right yes sir. thank you brother thank you thank you. for coming over with me bro good luck. this year thank you brother. all my life been grinding all my life. sacrifice hustle pay the price. wanna slice got the roll of dice that's.

why all my life i've been grinding all. my life look all my life been running. all my life. sacrifice plus will pay the price. wanna slice got to. [Music]. you know what to do hit the subscribe. button to become an official member of. club shay shape where we always do. something before tucson.