NASCAR's trip to Talladega may carry plenty of emotion for Bubba Wallace

Bubba Wallace has a complicated relationship with the Talladega Superspeedway. 

The track sits just four hours from his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, and was the site of his first career NASCAR Cup Series win in October 2021. 

But the track was also the site of a pivotal moment in Wallace’s life in June 2020, when a garage pull rope inside Wallace’s garage stall was found tied in the shape of the noose. While an FBI investigation concluded that no foul play was at hand, it was still a jarring moment for a driver and sport that had suddenly been thrust into the limelight. As the country focused on Talladega, Wallace and his peers showed an incredible display of unity before the race, pushing Wallace’s No. 43 to the front of the grid. 

As Wallace and NASCAR forged on through the 2020 season, it was announced that Wallace would be the driver for Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing in 2021 and beyond. It was with 23XI that Wallace won at Talladega — and with 23XI that he will return to the 2.66-mile track three years and two days after his first win. 

Wallace may not be fighting for a championship like he was last season, but there’s still plenty on the line for the 30-year-old on Sunday. 

As Wallace prepares for Sunday’s YellaWood 500, he may be distracted. Wallace's wife, Amanda, had the couple's first child on Sept. 29 — a perfectly good reason for Wallace's mind to be elsewhere on Sunday afternoon.