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Bubba Wallace Says His Focus Is on Racing, Not His Race

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kyle Dalton | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 2:05 PM ET

Bubba Wallace’s victory in last Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was significant on a couple of levels because it snapped his 100-race winless streak and clinched a spot in the NASCAR playoffs.

On Saturday at Iowa Speedway, the 23XI Racing driver met with reporters and revisited his win when he was asked about the recent success of other Black drivers, including ARCA Series driver Lavar Scott, who finished fifth on Friday night on the 0.875-mile track and Myles Rowe, who won at Iowa three weeks earlier and became the first Black driver to win in the Indy NXT Series.

“ I've always said from the beginning is I show up as a race car driver first and let everything else settle in after that,” Wallace said. “So, for me, crossing that start-finish line, the first thing I thought about was finally no more days since Bubba Wallace's last win. No more being on the cutline last race going into Daytona. Like we're in the playoffs. You know, we've done it. We've won after I've told myself so many times or I've questioned myself, can I do this again? All that was gone in that moment."

The 31-year-old said it wasn’t until later, when he started to reflect on the larger significance of the moment. "I didn’t realize the African-American side until hours later, and it’s still incredible," he admitted. “I think what gets lost in translation though and a lot of people get offended and try to downplay it. I get it right. I am biracial and I love both sides of who I am. And so at the end of the day, I am a race car driver and enjoy where I'm at in life and who I am as a person.”

Wallace acknowledged how the media often emphasizes his race in coverage, something he’s addressed in the past. "I remember when I had a tweet pinned on my Twitter profile and it caused so much controversy," he said. "I’m not surprised in today’s world but I was simply saying that you're not gonna stop hearing about the Black driver. I never lead off with I'm the Black driver. No disrespect to you guys, but a lot of the headlines you start off with that. That's what I was saying.”

During his media availability on Saturday, @BubbaWallace talked about his racing and his race when asked about the recent success of other Black drivers in other racing series. pic.twitter.com/yo0ZBWtqqB
— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) August 3, 2025

He also pushed back on critics who claim he focuses too much on his identity. “I know it's out there every time I do something,” he admitted. “Just embrace it. Like you have to enjoy it. But of course, people flip it and say like, ‘All he cares about is being Black.’ And that's not what I was saying. And so that's neither here nor there. Love my black side. Love my white side. Love that I'm competitive and I'm able to showcase that at the highest level in NASCAR.”

For Wallace, the message is clear: his accomplishments on the track speak first, but he won’t shy away from embracing who he is.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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