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NASCAR Announcer Makes Telling Admission On Bubba Wallace's Season

Originally posted on The Spun | By Matt Hladik | Last updated Apr 1, 2025 5:35 PM ET

Bubba Wallace is opening eyes with his early season performance in 2025.

Wallace has posted back-to-back third-place finishes at Homestead-Miami and Martinsville and also logged a ninth-place showing at Atlanta earlier in the year. The 31-year-old driver, who won The Duel at Daytona and the first stage at Circuit of the Americas, is currently eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings.

Following Wallace's most recent showing at Martinsville, he earned praise from NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick, who has noticed some major changes in the 23XI competitor this year.

“When I did the interview with Bubba this week that we’ll have on Thursday, it is the exact same thing,” Harvick said on his "Happy Hour" podcast this week. “You have to be able to find the details and put the work in and do the things that it takes, and that’s what Bubba talked about with (crew chief) Charles (Denike) and being able to have a structured system and understand the type of work and time that it takes to revolve your life around racing. You design everything that you do around that race schedule.

“And Bubba is finally at a point where he realizes that and has got his circle of life under control. New dad and really everything that he has going on has shown the results in a much different way from Bubba in the past.”

MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA - NOVEMBER 03: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 Xfinity Toyota, and wife, Amanda Wallace stand on the grid during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on November 03, 2024 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)David Jensen/Getty Images

It's interesting to see Harvick make note of Wallace's fresh approach. Wallace himself has spoken openly about how he has a different outlook after becoming a father in the offseason.

Before the 2025 Cup Series got underway, Wallace detailed some of the personal changes he made following last year's disappointing campaign.

"Excited for this season to get underway. Took it upon myself to be better and do better. Got my ass kicked the last 2 seasons, plain and simple," Wallace said on social media.

"No shame in saying that. Using it as motivation. I’ve been rocking the “just get by” mentality for too long. Focused on my well being most importantly. Eating right, drinking right. Working out. Tired of looking like the grinch(can’t help the hair)."

So far, it's all paying off for Bubba. We'll see if he can keep the good times rolling at Darlington this Sunday.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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