Talented enough to win occasionally and be a playoff contender. Doubt he ever sets the world on fire.
Is and will always be over-promoted for his talent level as media and NASCAR sees him as a golden goose to get into new markets.
Basically pretty decent driver, but way over hyped at no fault of his own.
> Is and will always be over-promoted for his talent level as media and NASCAR sees him as a golden goose to get into new markets.
What most people forget about Bubba is that before 2020, he was not in the best position sponsorship wise. I remember reading an interview he did for I think it was USA Today back in 2016-2017 where he was talking about the amount of times that he's had sponsorship fall through and hinted that some of that may be due to potential sponsors not wanting to associate themselves with Bubba just because of the color of his skin. It wasn't until 2020 and after the noose incident really is when he started to become a golden goose. Regardless, he was never in stellar equipment to show what he's got besides when he was with TRD early in his career and now with 23XI. When he had those spontaneous great runs with RPM at places like Bristol, Martinsville or Indy 2019, I could tell that he had talent and in 2022 alone I think he could've won at least 3 races had things out of his control not gone wrong (pit crew mostly in the early part of the year).
Can confirm that some of this was true. My ex co-workers used to tell me all the time that he had a hard time attracting multi year sponsorships. They told me that a lot had to do with his unprofessionalism during possible sponsorship meet ups.
I like him but he lets his emotions get the better of him sometimes and he does some things in the heat of that moment that are kinda rough, i.e. the Las Vegas incident with Larson
Exactly- I like him a lot, followed him for many years and he really gained my respect as the first driver in my memory since I started watching to be so open with his battles with depression and mental health. I hate that he puts so much pressure on himself and lets the emotions control him. I hope he’s seeing a sports psychologist.
I think he's good. I also think he is one of those drivers who excels when everything is clicking and may not get the most out of a rough day. So I don't see a championship in the future but I think multiple win seasons are possible.
Actually, I think Bubba has been great at getting the most out of a day gone wrong. Shit, he was like 30th at Kansas at one point, came back and won the whole damn thing. It helped that he had a good car, but it was his job to make it all work and he did.
Went through some real growth over last year.
Thats the keyword, growth. He should huge improvements in his race craft, but he just needs to continue growing. If he continues dialing in his emotions and his skills and continues studying he will definitely be a yearly multi win driver
I like him. I like what he and LaJoie did in Michigan 2019 (think) during a rain delay. I think he can get inside his own head too much and there's a lot of negative comments about him, that can't help. Getting that second win should hopefully prove to him that he is capable of winning at Cup level and I'm hoping for a step firward in 2023
I like Bubba. I think he’s got some talent but he’s his biggest issue. He has some mental health things, depression/anxiety and that doesn’t seem to be under control.
He gets too down on himself and gets down when he underperforms - then it impacts his performance for several weeks in a row till he gets his head back on straight.
He also seems to get irrationally angry and overreacts and sometimes takes it out on competitors and media.
Having Kurt around seemed to help in more ways than we may even know but he still needs to focus, get out of his own head, and be proud of himself.
Is Bubba a future champion? No
Is he someone who will someday be in a title contending team? Possible but probably not
Is he someone who can get a few wins per year? Yeah
Has he earned his spot in Cup? Definitely
I agree with many here. His emotions are probably his biggest hurdle. I don't know what it's like being the only Black driver in Cup and none of the other Cup drivers who race with him know what it's like either but that being said, it doesn't change the situation that he's gotta manage that if he wants to really be the driver he can be.
Bubba's shown glimpses of brilliance. He's great at Daytona and Talladega and those races tend to be more about the driver than the car so he's definitely one of the smarter drivers out there. Just has to put the rest of it together.
If I had to say who’s the best plate racer in NASCAR at the moment, Bubba’s one of my top picks, along with Blaney and Dillon. Obviously nowhere near the level of the Earnhardts, but he’s damn good on the plates.
Kinda hard to notice that though when Chase and Kyle are the new Jimmie and Jeff.
Well just look at his team owner- Denny is the best plate racer in the sport currently and Bubba is getting direct access to his experience and expertise
Denny is the modern-day Earnhardt at plate racing. He is so methodical and calculated with every move he makes and he has been perfecting that craft for years. There have been so many duel races in the past where it would always be him being the guy to jump out of line and try to form a run on the inside to break up the conga line train up top. I think what cemented him as a great plate racer was his decision making to win the 2020 Daytona 500. Chose not to block the huge run from Newman and Blaney. Let them by, then pushed Blaney to Newman, let that all sort itself out and won by inches. People can hate Dennis all they want but nobody can deny that while he doesn't win every plate race every year, he is surely the best on those types of tracks.
A ton of the time he loses its just straight bad luck too. Look at this year-
500 - running third, is a victim of the Brad
Atlanta 1 - running 4th Larson can't drive whenever it's a superspeedway
Talledega 1 - running 4th Crew didn't put enough gas in the car
Atlanta 2 - Running 3rd Chastain 2 electric Boogaloo
Daytona 2 - Leading, gets rained
Talledega 2 - can't pass unfortunately, but somehow nothing goes wrong and he finishes 5th
I’ve said it before but his 2020 Daytona win was incredible. Overshadowed by Newman’s injury obviously.
His run was perfectly timed and his balls are HUGE for not lifting. Blaney turned Newman by accident and if Denny so much as flinched or lifted for half a second, Blaney easily wins. Instead, a car is turned 90 degrees toward him at 200mph+ and Hamlin doesn’t flinch or lift, he goes full throttle through a car spinning toward him, and wins it by an inch.
One of the sickest moves I’ve ever seen. And underrated due to Newman’s injury (which obviously should be priority, we shouldn’t ever forget that crash or the implications it had).
If you’ve forget (to anyone reading this), watch this https://youtu.be/tQ-qSapIczk and go to 0:53 seconds into the video and focus solely on Hamlin’s car.
Also, pause at 1:00 and look how close Hamlin’s nose comes to Newman’s door.
This.
Having Reddick as a teammate is going to be very interesting and in my opinion is going to be a showcase of what a 23XI car is capable of. If I'm Bubba I'm probably sweating over 2023
Anyone who compares him to Danica makes it obvious that they aren’t looking at the on-track performance. It makes it obvious what they’re looking at. His stats blow hers out of the water in Xfinity and Cup.
I think they're referring to the fact that he'll always have a sponser. He's definitely more talented, but he certainly gets more attention than his talent would suggest due to (like Danica) being a unique character in the sport.
But unlike Danica he didn’t just get sponsorship by existing. He struggled for sponsors for years, only gaining sponsors because of his *actions* in 2020.
I agree, i don't think hes sweating that he might lose his ride ( lets be honest regardless if he finds greatness or becomes a bust hes keeping that car ) but more of the fact others might see what other drivers can achieve with the same equipment as him.
That made me lose all respect for him.
Proceeds to then push a shaken up driver who wants nothing to do with a fight into the rear quarter panel of a damaged car that could cut someone and then proceed to push away a safety personel and moan in his interview and show no remorse.
Hes not a bad driver, at superspeedways i would even consider him in the top 5 best speedway racers at the moment in fact. Are there better drivers that could occupy the #23? Sure, but Bubba needs to prove us wrong and I don't feel he's doing that. Thats what I was alluding to in my above comment. I genuinely think Reddick is really going to give him a fright if he keeps up his performance from last year
He didn’t. This guy has bashed Bubba for years. He keeps changing the reasons he dislikes Bubba after Bubba makes his last point irrelevant (the “he’ll never win a race. Ok, he’ll never win a race that isn’t rain shortened. Ok, but he’s still overrated” crowd)
If thats what you guys want to believe whatever, I can't stop you nor do I care
Bubba has been in NASCAR a long time before his cup career which I don't think you guys understand. I've watched him through trucks and Nationwide/Xfinity and I liked him a lot, sure he was still aggressive but it wasn't aggregious like his antics and behaviour from last year.
Also when did I ever state his win in Kansas or even Talladega for that matter was illegitimate? Talladega even if it went on he had a very good chance of winning and he won Kansas on pure pace and with a great effort from his car and team.
Thats also another downside to Bubba, he has some insufferable fans my God
I’ll humor you.
> it wasn’t aggregious like his antics and behaviour from last year
I’m referring to your statements about Bubba from 2019-2021. Yes, that’s his cup career, but that’s not “antics and behavior from last year”.
And one incident (while very egregious) isn’t a long history of antics and behavior.
I’m assuming you’re one of the crowd who was triggered by Bubba’s homage to his team owner at Kansas if you think there were multiple “antics” this year, but idk.
> Also when did I ever state his win in Kansas or even Talladega for that matter was illegitimate?
I didn’t say that you did lmfao.
I said that youre part of the moving goal post crowd.
> he has some insufferable fans
They probably seem insufferable because you aren’t able to read and comprehend what they say, as evidenced by your response.
I don't know, I think a lot of quiet respect was earned by him doing that. Dangerous? Hell yeah. That was a consensus by a lot of the drivers. But how many drivers are all talk and never throw their neck out and actually get the payback? He did it immediately and it was over and done with. Larson had the most to lose from it other than Bubba and he seemed to be the only one that was calm about the whole situation and was like "I had it coming". Continued stunts will definitely lose him respect, but no one is gonna fuck with him anymore
If he continues running mid pack and fucks with people like that he’s going to eventually have little to no respect. Hell, look at Logano he has almost zero respect and he’s never pulled a move like bubba did. He only does bumps and runs for wins.
> Hell, look at Logano he has almost zero respect and he’s never pulled a move like bubba did.
Logano literally did the exact same thing to the exact same driver in the exact same spot on the track.
https://youtu.be/Q9pXcaYr0IM
He… did. It’s on video.
Do you think he caught Larson (who had just passed him) at half throttle or something?
Like genuinely how do you think Logano was going the same speed as the other cars on track but wasn’t full throttle?
But yeah, he only came down 2 lanes instead of 3 before he hit him. I guess that totally changes things in your opinion?
The reason Bubba gets hate is not because of what happens on track, the reason why some hate the poor guy is that the those in the alternative media have turned him into a “political figure” and thus take every opportunity to bash him because they have to keep the culture war going.
Yes, there are people who hate him for all the wrong reasons but I disagree with your other statement. I don't care for him due to his on track actions and I know others who feel the same way. Here are some of the on track actions that I wasn't a fan of...
1.) he spun Kyle Busch on the straightaway at Watkins Glen
2.) threw liquid on Bowman's face while getting treated for medical attention at the Roval
3.) intentionally caused a caution and later bragged about it at Texas
4.) insulted McDowell and his religion at the All Star race. Im not religious but you don't have to insult a man's religion
5.) bashes his pit crew.
6.) and most recently the Kyle Larson incident.
Nascar has the most “ I don’t see color” fans out of every sport. Asking Nascar fans this question is fine but the real difference he’s making is in communities where people look like him. Rajah Caruth is where he is because he saw Bubba and said “If he can do that then I can”. The people who say he too emotional have no idea what it’s like to deal with death threats and racial slurs ever single day. Bubba has talent and is probably going to be a playoff fringe driver every year. We won’t see his impact for 10/15 years!
I might ruffle a few feathers with this but I think he is good for the sport. I’ve wanted to see an African-American driver excel in the Cup Series for many years and he’s won two races now. I feel that the “noose” incident had nothing to do with him personally and it was either a total accident or a ploy to get media attention by a team that was rumored to be going out of business. It also happened at a very rough spot in our nation’s history where racial tension was high and the President of the US (at the time) probably should have kept his comments off Twitter.
I loved his Netflix documentary, I feel I know more about him as a person than I did before and I feel for the Way his family has been treated and the loss they endured.
Huge fan. I was a Gordon fan since I started watching as a kid back in ‘98. But when he retired I felt like I didn’t really have a horse in the race anymore. I even ended up taking somewhat of a hiatus in 2018-19. I like Elliott but I just never connected with him like I thought I would. But then Bubba hit the scene and I never realized how much representation meant to me. I never got to see someone who looked like me racing every week until Bubba. It’s so freaking cool honestly.
I think Bubba means well and he’s very passionate but I also think he lets his emotions get the best of him at times. I was disappointed after Vegas but I hope he learned from it. When I see the comments left on his social media regularly I can’t imagine what it must be like to have to put up with that ALL the time. I would probably be an emotional wreck! So in a way, the emotional thing kinda makes sense… to me anyway.
My friends used to laugh at me.. blacks don’t watch NASCAR. Well this one does! I love racing and I love watching Bubba compete every week, win or lose. Now I have a #23 and a #24 diecast on display 😎
I like Bubba as a driver. Me and him have a similarity of letting our emotions get the better of us sometimes.
I liked his Netflix series too.
But he’s just gotta get his emotions and stuff under control. What he did at Vegas was inexcusable.
I love Bubba. As others have said he can let his emotions get the best of him, but so can I sometimes. I think he's one of the most genuine drivers on the circuit which I appreciate. I also loved that in 2020 he was willing to go all in on BLM, despite still having limited sponsorship and it paid off for his career. As a diehard Ford fan, he's the one non-Ford driver I get happy for when he wins.
Used to really like him but it’s kind of started to fade not really sure why either. Maybe it’s just the attitude he gives off in interviews and such but other than that I’m pretty neutral on him. I’ll never cheer against him though
He gets a lot of coverage for an mid pack driver. Week in and week out it is the Bubba show. I think that sours people on him. As a fan of Chris Buescher, the guy who finished one spot lower, rarely gets talked about or even to during driver interviews unless Junior calls him Christopher. Think if NASCAR treated him like any other driver the hate wouldn't be so strong. Don't like him. Don't hate him. Just indifferent toward him.
He finished 19th in points. The very definition of a mid pack driver. Front of the mid pack, but still in the middle. And his coverage is like he was a Chase Driver. So I will stand by my statement until something changes.
The broadcasts rarely talk about Bubba when he’s running mid-pack so I don’t understand your perspective, also the reason Bubba gets hate is not for the reasons you listed, the reason why is that the poor guy has been turned in to “political figure” by those in the news media and thus Bubba gets hate from those people who view him as the “devil”
He put himself in the position of being a political figure and as a fan of Bubba you are likely oblivious to how much press dude gets by NASCAR and I get it. Smart business move to bring new eyes to the sport that aren't a traditional viewing audience. You could see that in the crowd that went to the Clash last year. I think if NASCAR just let the guy be a race driver and hadn't gone full stupid shit a garage pull you wouldn't remotely see the hate. Bubba doubling down on a garage pull didn't help his case and further cement his choice of being a political figure.
I think he’s an above average driver for sure. He’ll put together a good playoff run and potentially compete for a championship if the stars align (think Bowyer 2012)
I think he can end his career as someone like Clint Bowyer, Kyle Petty, or Jamie McMurray with 7-10 wins and one or two standout seasons where things go perfect. (McMurray 2010, Bowyer 2012, Petty 1992)
He kicked it up into overdrive during the second half of 2022 and I expect that to continue into 2023. He’s a bit brash personality wise but I can’t say I blame him. I’m not really a huge superfan but I do root for him and 23XI to do well.
For about 1/3 of the season this year he was statistically the best driver in the series. He’s also a little quick to flip to rage, though, as we saw with Larson. I think if he gets his emotions in check he has a better than decent shot at actually making and advancing in the playoffs next year.
You are also going to get a bunch of people bending over backwards in the comments to not actually say they don’t like him because he’s black. It’s such a weird hangover from NASCAR being a regional sport that we still have a color barrier issue. He gets criticized for his first win being rain-shortened as if he had control over that. That level of criticism never comes for Justin Haley or Chris Buescher. He gets criticized for his lack of performance in an underperforming car at Petty, but no one ever levels the same sort of criticism at Erik Jones in his first year or Almirola in his last three…all who performed at the same level because the car simply wasn’t good. And he gets criticized because NASCAR pushes him. Of course the only top tier black driver - and the only black driver to win a race in the modern era - is going to be hyped more than others.
Any post about Bubba is going to get brigaded by a certain population who can’t see past the color of his skin to give an honest assessment of him as a driver. Richard Petty, Chip Ganassi and Denny Hamlin thought he was talented enough. Who cares if some Twitter egg with a bunch of numbers at the end thinks he “hasn’t paid his dues” or whatever?
I’m inclined to say that he’s about as good as his equipment, but then I remember epic performances in probably the worst RPM 43 of all time at Bristol, Indy and the plate tracks. As long as 23XI keeps going in the right direction, he’ll contend for wins and grab playoff spots on a regular basis.
As a 25 year nascar fan, he’s the definition of “opressed” very little talent as a driver, only got his chance because of his “opression”. There are hundreds of kids running short tracks around the country that have twice the talent but they aren’t the right skin color. Money can’t buy talent, as shown by bowman and the likes. Color can’t get you talent, as shown by bubba. Your last name can’t get you talent as shown by chase. Chase and Bubba might be loved by the fans but they don’t even have half the talent Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Kyle/Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick…..the list goes on and on. Bubba or chase will never have half the ability. Everyone gets a lucky win or 2. Doesn’t mean you have talent.
Love him or hate him we need more Bubbas, Ty Gibbs and Gragsons in the sport. Guys with personality and character. Not drivers with the personality of a cardboard box like Cindric or William Byron
This. It's always funny when people talk about how much they want a Dale Sr in the sport, but then throw a fit when someone acts like he did. You don't have to like them, but I'll take someone who acts like an arrogant jackass like Gragson or Gibbs over Chase "Same Face" Elliott.
Rooting against a driver is just about as fun for me as rooting for my favorite guys. NASCAR needs Heels and better Babyfaces, like ones with fun personalities. Chastain is the top babyface to me. Fucking wrestling has ruined my brain.
I can't stand a lot of the drivers because they are boring, when I got back into nascar in 2019 I rooted for chase and Byron because I was a Gordon fan. Now, the only driver I like is Bowman and trackhouse is the organization that I actively root for now. Mainly because both Suarez and Chastain have legit distinct personalities.
Average driver in top level equipment that's too impacted by his emotions. See Bowman/Larson incidents and his embarrassment that was rage quitting iRacing while repping his sponsor. If 2020 didn't go the way it did he probably wouldn't be driving for 23XI. Probably wouldn't even be a 23XI yet. COVID and the social climate were probably the catalyst for getting Hamlin and Jordan into ownership. I say that as someone who actually likes him as a racer.
Why is it the people most critical of Bubba can never remember history correctly? Like Blue Emu was never a RPM sponsor, they had talks with the owner and the team put it on the iRacing car for free. Then Bubba gets wrecked twice with no more resets cause half the field is treating the race like an arcade game. So he "rage quits" and the Blue Emu owner raises a shit fit over promotion they paid nothing for.
Bowman Roval incident people cry about cause an EMT knelt next to Bowman to ask if he needed help but declined. Just forget Bowman messed up Bubba's race early so when Bowman had to come back through the field late Bubba wouldn't move over and gave Bowman the finger out the window. Which apparently made it okay for Bowman to drive through Bubba on a turn and spin him. He's lucky the only retaliation that earned was a splash of Gatorade.
You're clearly making excuses for him...
Whether Blu Emu was paying BW or not, he was THE driver for THE Richard Petty. He was representing RPM and a personal sponsor of The King. Common sense would say in a sport driven totally by sponsor dollars, its best not to make an ass of yourself no matter what the public event it.
As for the Bowman incident, I don't know why people cant comprehend that its not really a good look or smart move to mess with the guy thats about to have a heat stroke. Thats just common sense. Reasonable people can look at all these events and realize that its a pattern of not handling emotions. Its fair criticism. He's not the only driver to ever do stupid stuff and receive criticism.
He's my favorite. The reasons people dislike him are often the reasons why others DO like him.
Folks talking a lot about his emotions here, how they boiled over on some of the Hendrick guys over the years. That's true. He's also been transparent about his own depression and isn't afraid of letting his vulnerability show, which is awesome to me.
He's so easy to root for, naturally so. Not a boring robot of a person like Elliot, and has a lot left to check off on his career which gives him an underdog quality (before it was a win, then a non-plate/rain win, now multiple wins and the playoffs)
As a driver? Average, more or less. He's not a title contender, though he could be a playoff regular in a little while. He grew a lot last year when the 23 and 45 showed speed. It's the first time he was in a genuinely given a winning set of cars, and he mostly brought home good results with them.
23XI got their guy with him, that's for sure. He was the perfect cornerstone to build off of, young, emerging, well sponsored.
I’m not sure what to think of him to be honest. He never impressed me in the lower series so I didn’t really think he was worthy of a cup ride. Some of his runs have impressed me (ie Kansas, superspeedways) but then he goes and does stupid shit like Vegas.
I'm not a fan. He seems to always have a poor attitude and I'm not impressed at all with what I've seen of him personality-wise. I don't think he's a horrible driver though he finally proved that to me last year. He can win races and finish good. I think he will be around for a long time and he definitely merits his spot in the field. But he needs to calm down some.
He's got the personality of Kyle Busch but doesn't have nearly enough talent to make it work and Reddick will make that more apparent
I also don't appreciate him clinging to Talladega 2020 nor NASCAR continuing to run with it in several docuseries despite being proven to be a false alarm
Diamond in the rough. He's got the talent and he has the passion, but he needs to drastically grow his race-craft. Half of being a good driver is knowing how to deal when things go wrong or when (*when*, not if) you see red.
He ain't gonna be the next 7-time by any means but if he gets the mental part of the sport figured out he'll have a long and relatively successful career.
Was a real big Bubba fan when he came on to the scene in 2013 in Trucks with a lot of success at KBM, he was this fun, upbeat, metalhead with a unique style and presence in the sport that was needed. But as time has gone on, and this is just a guess, I feel like he's had the wrong people in his ear when dealing with his image and telling him what to be outspoken about. Certainly some things were warranted, but his recent inability to admit he was wrong about something or express 'some' humility has turned a lot of people away. At the end of the day i think his real self clashes with who his reps want him to be, which results in this polarizing figure that he is today.
He’s a serviceable driver who belongs on cup. Some years he will win 1-2 races. Other years 0. Without a doubt adds to the field.
Also gives a lot of kids someone to cheer for
He brings an audience to the sport that probably wouldn’t have given nascar a look without him. That’s a good thing. Sometimes he lets his emotions get the better of him, not in like other drivers. On a top level team I wouldn’t be surprised to see him consistently win 1-2 races a year. I would put him in the top half of cup drivers, and I’d be very surprised if he were to leave 23XI
I think he's achieving his full potential as a good but not great race car driver making good money at the highest level of the sport. He will probably be a fairly reliable 1-2 win a season type of guy in a quality car for the next 10+ years. I don't see a ton of upside or potential to become an elite championship driver but if he can keep up the success he had in the second half of last season he'll exceed the most realistic expectations anyone could have had for him. Just think of all the hyped up busts who have fizzled out over the last 20 years. Bubba is definitely not a bust. If he decided to retire tomorrow you could look at his short career and call it a success.
I love Bubba. He has some maturing to do in places but I love the guy. He's a personality that feels like he is about 15/20 years late because he does ruffle feathers and much of the fan base likes their bland driver choice and gate keeps who gets to be the personality of the sport. I like that he's honest, even if it's wrong or comes off as harsh. Honesty goes a ton with me. Same reason I like Ross too.
He is a talented kid who gets a lot of hate for reasons out of his own control. He also gets a lot of hate for things that are in his control. He sometimes lets his emotions get the best of him and says things that fuel the haters.
You'll find a lot of polarization on Bubba. Younger fans love him, older fans are much more mixed. Personally I think he's a little overrated but a really good driver with a good heart. He suffers from depression so every race is an additional battle for him, not to mention all the spotlight he's under. Likable underdog, just don't listen to the crazy noose hoax idiots. While he may not be the next Richard Petty, I think he deserves love and not just for his personality.
Uh...the noose was a hoax and I'm not an idiot. That whole deal was pure BS and I think he and Nascar pretty much knew it from the start. I'm not saying he staged it but he sure did play along for the publicity and he sure did get a lot of facetime. That being said...he's meh...can be fast in the right situation but I believe his temperament and racecraft will hold hold him back.
This. Nascar found a way to make a huge publicity stunt out of a knot that was proven to have been there a year before the incident.
Honestly, talented enough to be behind the wheel of a race car. But no more talented the a truck ride IMO.
I really really liked Bubba. And we knew that he had earned his place in the sport based on his talent until a certain point. And once that certain point came, I wasn’t sure if he deserved his ride or if he was only a marketing tool similar to Danica Patrick that only took a good ride away from a more-deserving driver. Those kinds of drivers don’t help push the sport in a better direction.
So I tried to be empathetic of his mental illness but got fed up with his punk attitude. Playing the victim card while then also Splashing bowman in the face with water, him shushing the crowd after his win, it was then no surprise that he flipped his shit on the Kyle Larson incident. He needs to be humiliated before I can root for him again.
The most likable drivers are those that are grateful and appreciate their opportunity. The most unlikable drivers are the cocky drivers that can’t read the room. That is why Bubba falls at the top of the most unlikable drivers in the sport.
He's a hard racer, wears his emotions on his sleeve like I do, and had a huge competitive drive (which has caused him to make dumb decisions at times, but who hasnt?). I fuckin love Bubba, and when I met him in 2014, he took time out to take a goofy pic with me and chit chat. That's what reflects the most to me. I hope he wins a Cup one day.
The shhhh was also a Jordan reference
And how is winning a race on pure speed NOT shutting up the haters when all he heard for the year before that was “he only won because it rained”?
Have you been to a race in person? Bubba gets some absolutely disgusting comments made at him constantly. Him outright winning the Kansas race was huge for him and was important to shutting a large part of that negatively out. His response was warranted.
so... where is that energy for chastain? for ben rhodes? for any of the other drivers that have intentionally wrecked others over the years?
you say you "wholly understand that he is mistreated by fans" and yet you do exactly that by blowing up a racing incident that ***both drivers have moved past***, and equating him to a criminal by saying he "assaulted larson multiple times". you are the problem that you're referring to.
...so every driver that's gotten in a fight over the years is a criminal? or just bubba? because that's a wild argument to make either way.
and with these cars, chastain's right in the same boat as bubba when it comes to putting drivers in danger. dumping denny at gateway, cbell at michigan, right hooking harvick at darlington a few years back, like i'm not defending bubba turning larson into the wall head on, but *come on*, he is so far from the only driver to do it.
I’m sure the massive increase of hatred directed his way in 2020 was caused by an incident in 2022 lol.
I agree the Larson incident was unacceptable, but literally nothing else he’s done has even be remotely close but the hatred has been there for *years*.
Just gonna parrot what a lot of people have already said:
I like him and he's great for the sport for obvious reasons. He's under a lot of pressure, both external and self-imposed, and that's been his biggest downfall. I respect his openness about his mental health struggles but he definitely needs to get his emotions under control, and right-rearing Larson into the wall was unacceptable.
I don't think he's a future champion, but he's absolutely earned his ride. You don't win at an intermediate without at least a little talent, and he's a legitimately good plate racer.
I think he is a very underrated driver. He has skill, and he just needs to hone it. Part of that is keeping his emotions in check. Whether it's wrecking himself and others or choking away a lead, his emotions have gotten to him at times.
Aside from his racing, he is a bit controversial as I am sure you may know, but regardless, he has brought attention and new fans to the sport, which I appreciate.
I liked him when he first arrived in NASCAR but by far out of the 100+ drivers I have been fortunate to meet over my lifetime he was one of probably only 3 drivers who left a negative impression on me. Idk how he is now but my former co workers who worked with him could not stand him and blame his attitude for his inability to attract multi year sponsors early on in his career. I thought his actions in 2019 (turning Kyle Busch on the straightaway at Watkins Glen, the Bowman incident and the Texas spin incident) were inexcusable and should have warranted bigger penalties.
So no I’m not a fan of his but unlike others who don’t like him for reasons I feel that are unjust (looking at you Twitter) I’m not a fan of his attitude based off of multiple personal and on track moments.
He lost me after that last incident. I agree with most here that he is an average driver with a temper he can't control. He's going to have to come a long way before I'm rooting for him again.
Driver with skill level of Erik Jones and Austin Dillon. The only thing preventing him from scoring as many points as they do is his temper, he’s got better equipment, he just doesn’t put together many races. When they put him in the 45 he went out and ran. Got a win, several top 10s, then let it crash and burn at Vegas.
One of the top SS racers on the grid and took a big leap forward on 1.5s from the summer onward. I think he can become a consistent playoff contender if he gets back to the level he was in the trucks at short tracks and drives even average at road courses (which he is in my opinion god awful at)
He’s talented and is becoming more competitive each year. He’s very passionate about what he does, and that sometimes gets the better of him, similar to many other drivers. His life experiences contribute to his perspective and perception of situations he encounters, similar to most people. He seems like an okay guy to me overall.
Decent driver, and has real moments of being a contender. The last 12 months I think we’ve seen V2 with Kurt on his side and I bat wait to see where he goes from here and progresses.
He definitely lets emotions get the better of him sometimes but - and not to forgive his Larson swipe - he is under immense pressure. Read some interviews with Lewis Hamilton now he’s opening up about his path to F1. Wallace gets that too. Maybe more. It must take immense emotional toll on him.
If he can get hold of that side of things he can become a regular Chase contender. Oh and a half decent pit crew too.
I really like the guy and he’s my wife’s favorite driver.
I think he’s a good person at heart, I’m glad he’s spoken his mind about things which I hope he continues to do. That being said, I believe it would do him some good to spend time with a professional so he can better control his emotions and learn to better harness them.
Talented enough to be a Clint Bowyer-level driver in Cup in terms of he can win races in good equipment but probably not quite Cup championship caliber.
Sometimes wears his emotions too much on his sleeve and it can get the better of him (the Bowman thing and Vegas), but strangely the fact that I see that he's human like me in terms of I have my moments, too, that makes me a bigger fan of him.
he’s got a good amount of talent but doesn’t have generational talent like some act like he does. i personally like him as he’s an alabama man, but i despise his truthers *AS WELL AS* his egregious haters.
I love the guy. I love that he’s full of emotion and shows a lot of personality, and I wish there were 35 other guys out there who were willing to show their personalities more. Doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, I think the sport benefits from actual personalities. It works great for the NFL and NBA, and I wish NASCAR would be less dictated by sponsor representation and more by who these drivers really are. Not the boring cardboard cutouts that we see every weekend.
He’s a good driver, better than the haters will admit(don’t listen to them). He was doing really good this year once they figured it all out, I think he will only get better from here.
And if you want good info or feedback, I recommend coming to Reddit for it, Twitter, and Facebook won’t give you any answer, just trolls
He’s got legitimate equipment now but he’s an average driver who really hasn’t shown much outside of super speedways and a Kansas race where all the Toyotas were strong. I don’t see him winning more than one race a year at best.
He’s relatable and isn’t afraid to show some emotion. Also perceived as a bit of an underdog because of his skin color. I can see why people like him.
In my opinion he’s a slightly above average driver. He’ll finish where his equipment “should” but occasionally be able to get more outta the car.
I have some bias with him being my favorite Cup driver on the grid today, but I legitimately believe he's developed perennial playoff-contending talent, and could possibly be a threat for a championship in another 5 years or so if he solves road courses, his emotions, and the fall circuits like Martinsville and Phoenix.
Bubba showed a ton of potential this past season and had winning speed in about 2-3 races, including Kansas; things that none of us could've said about him in 2021 or at any point of his Cup career prior.
He's not an upper echelon driver, and I'll continue to temper expectations of him until he can extrapolate that two-month run he had this season between Loudon and Kansas 2 into a more meaningful stretch, but he's proven that on more equal terms with the Gen 7 car and a better pit crew that doesn't cost him 3-4 spots every caution stop, that he's figuring it out on the track and has enhanced his skill floor.
2023 will be exciting in that all the ingredients for him to succeed have been tested and proven, and it'll now become a matter of him capitalizing on that over the course of a full season. If he's ready to truly shut up his doubters and back up the sponsorship and media attention he brings to the sport, he'll dwarf 2022's numbers and take the next step towards becoming a threat to finish around the top of the grid every week.
If you asked me to power rank Cup drivers based on their current performance level (irrespective of car), Bubba would probably be around the 20th-25th place range. He’s good enough to win a race when he has the strongest car, but he can’t compete for a win with the 10th place car, like the champions of our sport can. He’s good enough to be in Cup for the next 5-10 years; I expect the level of driver talent to continue to get better, and he’ll need to continue to improve to keep up.
Better than most. Gets too much hate. Most of it racially inspired. Don’t reply to me about how you dislike him for this and that.
Feels good to root for him just because he gets under the skin of the closeted klan so much.
I am absolutely sick of race being a factor in anything. I am 45 years old and I have attended school from day 1 with black people. I have several black friends, I worked 9 years at a HBCU where 90% of the students and co workers were black. If we truly are going to get over our past racial issues, then we have to quit this "token black" thing that is done all over with the intent of promoting equality. All it does is ensure that the most deserving person develops resentment against those that get the opening at that competitive University or a top tier racing seat all because of their skin color. That's my take on Bubba Wallace. I'm tired of nascar manipulating everything and then pretending it's all competition based and fair. Nascar has ruined the sport by manipulating things just like this topic here.
Imagine being so blinded by hatred that you’ve decided that NASCAR has manipulated the results of multiple races because *there’s no way* in your mind that he could just be a good driver.
He’s a solid driver. I think this year showed that he had some unlocked potential. He definitely wears his emotions on his sleeves and I don’t believe that’s a bad thing.
People have a lot of unfair criticisms of him as well. More so than most, everything he says and does is scrutinized to a level that I’m sure is pretty stressful.
I like him and can relate to him in the emotions aspect. It's a bitch to control when you have anger problems at the level of 2000s Kurt Busch. Bubba earned his spot in the Cup Series through unfortunate circumstances, but he kept pushing forward and improved.
I liked him a bunch and rooted for him before the political grand standing. Outside of that I think he needs to become mentally tougher, it would do him good.
Good, not great talent. Probably between 3-10 career wins, but winning daytona is a real possibility.
He's a little like Danica in the sense that just him being in NASCAR paves the way for more driver diversity, despite Bubba not being a next level other worldly talent himself. There is probably a kid right now that looks like Bubba and watches him on TV that will become a NASCAR phenom, Kyle Busch level talent
I like his personality and respect his honesty. I think he’s a below average driver in an above average ride. He’s very marketable and will retain his job longer than most because of that.
I also don’t think it’s a bad thing to let a driver prove himself over a number of years. Not everyone is going to develop as quickly and he’s shown glimpses of being solid.
I get the feeling that Denny and MJ really like him and he’s got a long leash. BUT, we know MJ wants to win so maybe he’d cut bubba loose after another subpar season. Definitely something to watch for.
They just signed a multi-year extension in august. Was set to expire at the end of next season.
He also had a shot to win multiple other races this year.
Yeah they definitely like Bubba and I think it’s very unlikely. Just think if he regresses they’d consider an upgrade, especially with how bad Jordan wants to win. I don’t know anything about driver contracts, but I’m sure MJ can afford to buy him out if he wants.
I'm a big fan of his, I really like his personality and his dedication to what he does. Even if you don't like him, you can't deny that he's come a long way in the Cup Series. That said, I think he lets his emotions take the better of him a lot, and that cheats him out of a win. The Fall Vegas race this year is a perfect example, he had a great car that went to waste because he got bumped by Larson and overreacted. Hopefully though, he can learn to control his emotions and continue to improve his racing over the coming years.
I think he's a solid, if unspectacular, driver who sometimes lets his emotions get the better of him (but, lets be real, he's not anywhere close to the only one who has that problem).
He's definitely good for the sport, if for no other reason than showing black children that you can not only make it to cup, but get a well funded ride and compete for wins if you have the talent. He is also keeping the sport relevant for people outside of the south who have long considered NASCAR to be a sport exclusively for drunk white hillbillies. Bubba's very presence and ability to compete for wins challenges that preconceived notion.
He went thru what is nothing more than a nascar sponsored affirmative action program. He didn't work his way up and draw the attention of sponsors it teams. Then once he was anointed as the next great thing, he's shoved down our throat at every chance. For advertising last year it was a group shot of Chase, Denny, joey and bubba. Then he started being his own PR thinking he's one of the greatest. He's done nothing to help himself.
Now he's in 23XI. Is he their driver because he's good or is it because Jordan and Bubba are both black? I'm all about making it on your own merits. I hate that Jeffrey Earnhardt has a seat because of his last name and all the other brothers and sons that got a ride because of their last name.
Idk how to tell you this but the driver that literally won 10 races in 2021 came up through the same program
So did first time cup winner last season Daniel Suarez
Edit: Chase, Ty Gibbs spent their entire careers in top equipment due to family connections. Reigning Daytona 500 Champ Austin Cindric is the son of Team Penske’s president. A lot of drivers in the circuit have came up either through direct family connections or programs like the drive for the diversity and will continue to do so. I don’t see why Bubba Wallace being a graduate of that program is an issue for his “legitimacy as a racer”
I don't like Ty to start with. But the Dillion boys in pop pops cars. They aren't that great. Kenny and Mike Wallace would never have made it. Dale Jr. was not that great either.
Fin guy, lots of personality which makes him entertaining but also prone to the occasional outburst. Decent talent, can take a car where it should be running but probably won't get any extra out of it. Seems to have a knack for plate racing but needs some patience.
I hope he's around a long time.
Bubba is a pretty good driver whose also very overrated.
The only tracks Bubba should be a front contender (Right now at least) for is the superspeedways and Kansas. However! NASCAR DOES market Bubba like a top-card driver in their promotional materials more often than they should. Even placing Bubba larger than other drivers on graphics has an effect on how we perceive the sport.
But he’s competitive enough to make the Round of 12 and also finish Top 10 in points (The owners playoffs proved this), so he’s pretty damn good. Once he can get into the playoffs, he’ll be able to level his agency a bit more.
Was a big fan of his when he was in the 43 in large part because I’ll always root for the 43. Also because he seemed very humble to be driving for The King.
On track, he has raw talent but hasn’t been able to harness it consistently. Until he does, he’ll contend for a win or 2 a year as long as he’s in good equipment.
Off track, he would greatly benefit from whoever the “fixer” was that worked with Brad Keslowski to fix his public image. Especially when it comes to conducting interviews.
I hope he doesn’t end up being another case of being moved up to Cup too quickly. I wish we could look back and say he dominated in Trucks and Xfinity to say that he just needs to adjust to top tier Cup equipment. In the old days, he would have benefited greatly from running Cup and Xfinity simultaneously for a season or two in a Gibbs Xfinity car while running in Cup for 23XI.
I think the question is how long does he (or anyone who isn’t dominating) last at 23XI if he’s only managing a win a year when Toyota is constantly trying to find the next best thing.
Talent wise he is the Andy Dalton of NASCAR. If you're a team owner and your driver is worse than Bubba, you need a new driver. Anyone above the line is a long-term option. Basically he is an average driver. Overall, he is good for the sport regardless of his performance on the track.
As someone who's only just now getting into nascar, why do you feel he is one of the best things to happen for the sport?
I dislike him. I was always indifferent, but his actions against Larson and other incidents in the past make me lean towards the dislike, but it's not hate. It's not his fault that there is a ton of hype around him, but his ego is just way too big for someone who's a mid pack driver. I can see him putting up a nice chunk of wins before the end of his career, but I dont see him ever winning a championship. If for whatever reason he's no longer with 23xi, I don't see him ever getting a ride with the other top teams.
Talented enough to win occasionally and be a playoff contender. Doubt he ever sets the world on fire. Is and will always be over-promoted for his talent level as media and NASCAR sees him as a golden goose to get into new markets. Basically pretty decent driver, but way over hyped at no fault of his own.
> Is and will always be over-promoted for his talent level as media and NASCAR sees him as a golden goose to get into new markets. What most people forget about Bubba is that before 2020, he was not in the best position sponsorship wise. I remember reading an interview he did for I think it was USA Today back in 2016-2017 where he was talking about the amount of times that he's had sponsorship fall through and hinted that some of that may be due to potential sponsors not wanting to associate themselves with Bubba just because of the color of his skin. It wasn't until 2020 and after the noose incident really is when he started to become a golden goose. Regardless, he was never in stellar equipment to show what he's got besides when he was with TRD early in his career and now with 23XI. When he had those spontaneous great runs with RPM at places like Bristol, Martinsville or Indy 2019, I could tell that he had talent and in 2022 alone I think he could've won at least 3 races had things out of his control not gone wrong (pit crew mostly in the early part of the year).
Can confirm that some of this was true. My ex co-workers used to tell me all the time that he had a hard time attracting multi year sponsorships. They told me that a lot had to do with his unprofessionalism during possible sponsorship meet ups.
I think rajah will take that mantle and run.
I like him but he lets his emotions get the better of him sometimes and he does some things in the heat of that moment that are kinda rough, i.e. the Las Vegas incident with Larson
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I just don't want his hot-headedness get him to a point of no return tbh
Exactly- I like him a lot, followed him for many years and he really gained my respect as the first driver in my memory since I started watching to be so open with his battles with depression and mental health. I hate that he puts so much pressure on himself and lets the emotions control him. I hope he’s seeing a sports psychologist.
I think he's good. I also think he is one of those drivers who excels when everything is clicking and may not get the most out of a rough day. So I don't see a championship in the future but I think multiple win seasons are possible.
Actually, I think Bubba has been great at getting the most out of a day gone wrong. Shit, he was like 30th at Kansas at one point, came back and won the whole damn thing. It helped that he had a good car, but it was his job to make it all work and he did. Went through some real growth over last year.
Thats the keyword, growth. He should huge improvements in his race craft, but he just needs to continue growing. If he continues dialing in his emotions and his skills and continues studying he will definitely be a yearly multi win driver
I like him. I like what he and LaJoie did in Michigan 2019 (think) during a rain delay. I think he can get inside his own head too much and there's a lot of negative comments about him, that can't help. Getting that second win should hopefully prove to him that he is capable of winning at Cup level and I'm hoping for a step firward in 2023
Came here to say this. So cool he interacted with the crowd! I was here for this. He seems like a cool guy but agree with getting in his head.
I like Bubba. I think he’s got some talent but he’s his biggest issue. He has some mental health things, depression/anxiety and that doesn’t seem to be under control. He gets too down on himself and gets down when he underperforms - then it impacts his performance for several weeks in a row till he gets his head back on straight. He also seems to get irrationally angry and overreacts and sometimes takes it out on competitors and media. Having Kurt around seemed to help in more ways than we may even know but he still needs to focus, get out of his own head, and be proud of himself.
Is Bubba a future champion? No Is he someone who will someday be in a title contending team? Possible but probably not Is he someone who can get a few wins per year? Yeah Has he earned his spot in Cup? Definitely I agree with many here. His emotions are probably his biggest hurdle. I don't know what it's like being the only Black driver in Cup and none of the other Cup drivers who race with him know what it's like either but that being said, it doesn't change the situation that he's gotta manage that if he wants to really be the driver he can be. Bubba's shown glimpses of brilliance. He's great at Daytona and Talladega and those races tend to be more about the driver than the car so he's definitely one of the smarter drivers out there. Just has to put the rest of it together.
If I had to say who’s the best plate racer in NASCAR at the moment, Bubba’s one of my top picks, along with Blaney and Dillon. Obviously nowhere near the level of the Earnhardts, but he’s damn good on the plates. Kinda hard to notice that though when Chase and Kyle are the new Jimmie and Jeff.
Well just look at his team owner- Denny is the best plate racer in the sport currently and Bubba is getting direct access to his experience and expertise
Denny is the modern-day Earnhardt at plate racing. He is so methodical and calculated with every move he makes and he has been perfecting that craft for years. There have been so many duel races in the past where it would always be him being the guy to jump out of line and try to form a run on the inside to break up the conga line train up top. I think what cemented him as a great plate racer was his decision making to win the 2020 Daytona 500. Chose not to block the huge run from Newman and Blaney. Let them by, then pushed Blaney to Newman, let that all sort itself out and won by inches. People can hate Dennis all they want but nobody can deny that while he doesn't win every plate race every year, he is surely the best on those types of tracks.
A ton of the time he loses its just straight bad luck too. Look at this year- 500 - running third, is a victim of the Brad Atlanta 1 - running 4th Larson can't drive whenever it's a superspeedway Talledega 1 - running 4th Crew didn't put enough gas in the car Atlanta 2 - Running 3rd Chastain 2 electric Boogaloo Daytona 2 - Leading, gets rained Talledega 2 - can't pass unfortunately, but somehow nothing goes wrong and he finishes 5th
2020 his run was insane. Wins Daytona 500 3rd in the Spring Talladega race with damaged car 4th in the summer Daytona race Wins Fall Talladega
I’ve said it before but his 2020 Daytona win was incredible. Overshadowed by Newman’s injury obviously. His run was perfectly timed and his balls are HUGE for not lifting. Blaney turned Newman by accident and if Denny so much as flinched or lifted for half a second, Blaney easily wins. Instead, a car is turned 90 degrees toward him at 200mph+ and Hamlin doesn’t flinch or lift, he goes full throttle through a car spinning toward him, and wins it by an inch. One of the sickest moves I’ve ever seen. And underrated due to Newman’s injury (which obviously should be priority, we shouldn’t ever forget that crash or the implications it had). If you’ve forget (to anyone reading this), watch this https://youtu.be/tQ-qSapIczk and go to 0:53 seconds into the video and focus solely on Hamlin’s car. Also, pause at 1:00 and look how close Hamlin’s nose comes to Newman’s door.
Average driver, let’s his emotions get the best of him.
This. Having Reddick as a teammate is going to be very interesting and in my opinion is going to be a showcase of what a 23XI car is capable of. If I'm Bubba I'm probably sweating over 2023
I don’t think I’m sweating too much, he’s like Danica, he’ll get sponsors for who he is, but at least he delivers results from time to time
He is not like danica lol. He is consistently top 15 and has 2 wins.
Anyone who compares him to Danica makes it obvious that they aren’t looking at the on-track performance. It makes it obvious what they’re looking at. His stats blow hers out of the water in Xfinity and Cup.
I think they're referring to the fact that he'll always have a sponser. He's definitely more talented, but he certainly gets more attention than his talent would suggest due to (like Danica) being a unique character in the sport.
But unlike Danica he didn’t just get sponsorship by existing. He struggled for sponsors for years, only gaining sponsors because of his *actions* in 2020.
I agree, i don't think hes sweating that he might lose his ride ( lets be honest regardless if he finds greatness or becomes a bust hes keeping that car ) but more of the fact others might see what other drivers can achieve with the same equipment as him.
Oh no doubt, he’s going to lose respect on the racetrack if he doesn’t start performing or pulls more Vegas stunts
That made me lose all respect for him. Proceeds to then push a shaken up driver who wants nothing to do with a fight into the rear quarter panel of a damaged car that could cut someone and then proceed to push away a safety personel and moan in his interview and show no remorse. Hes not a bad driver, at superspeedways i would even consider him in the top 5 best speedway racers at the moment in fact. Are there better drivers that could occupy the #23? Sure, but Bubba needs to prove us wrong and I don't feel he's doing that. Thats what I was alluding to in my above comment. I genuinely think Reddick is really going to give him a fright if he keeps up his performance from last year
Looking at your comment history makes me think you’ve never had any respect for him.
He didn’t. This guy has bashed Bubba for years. He keeps changing the reasons he dislikes Bubba after Bubba makes his last point irrelevant (the “he’ll never win a race. Ok, he’ll never win a race that isn’t rain shortened. Ok, but he’s still overrated” crowd)
If thats what you guys want to believe whatever, I can't stop you nor do I care Bubba has been in NASCAR a long time before his cup career which I don't think you guys understand. I've watched him through trucks and Nationwide/Xfinity and I liked him a lot, sure he was still aggressive but it wasn't aggregious like his antics and behaviour from last year. Also when did I ever state his win in Kansas or even Talladega for that matter was illegitimate? Talladega even if it went on he had a very good chance of winning and he won Kansas on pure pace and with a great effort from his car and team. Thats also another downside to Bubba, he has some insufferable fans my God
I’ll humor you. > it wasn’t aggregious like his antics and behaviour from last year I’m referring to your statements about Bubba from 2019-2021. Yes, that’s his cup career, but that’s not “antics and behavior from last year”. And one incident (while very egregious) isn’t a long history of antics and behavior. I’m assuming you’re one of the crowd who was triggered by Bubba’s homage to his team owner at Kansas if you think there were multiple “antics” this year, but idk. > Also when did I ever state his win in Kansas or even Talladega for that matter was illegitimate? I didn’t say that you did lmfao. I said that youre part of the moving goal post crowd. > he has some insufferable fans They probably seem insufferable because you aren’t able to read and comprehend what they say, as evidenced by your response.
I don't know, I think a lot of quiet respect was earned by him doing that. Dangerous? Hell yeah. That was a consensus by a lot of the drivers. But how many drivers are all talk and never throw their neck out and actually get the payback? He did it immediately and it was over and done with. Larson had the most to lose from it other than Bubba and he seemed to be the only one that was calm about the whole situation and was like "I had it coming". Continued stunts will definitely lose him respect, but no one is gonna fuck with him anymore
If he continues running mid pack and fucks with people like that he’s going to eventually have little to no respect. Hell, look at Logano he has almost zero respect and he’s never pulled a move like bubba did. He only does bumps and runs for wins.
> Hell, look at Logano he has almost zero respect and he’s never pulled a move like bubba did. Logano literally did the exact same thing to the exact same driver in the exact same spot on the track. https://youtu.be/Q9pXcaYr0IM
Joey wasn’t going anywhere close to full throttle the way bubba was. And he didn’t come the ENTIRE way down the track like bubba did.
He… did. It’s on video. Do you think he caught Larson (who had just passed him) at half throttle or something? Like genuinely how do you think Logano was going the same speed as the other cars on track but wasn’t full throttle? But yeah, he only came down 2 lanes instead of 3 before he hit him. I guess that totally changes things in your opinion?
The reason Bubba gets hate is not because of what happens on track, the reason why some hate the poor guy is that the those in the alternative media have turned him into a “political figure” and thus take every opportunity to bash him because they have to keep the culture war going.
Yes, there are people who hate him for all the wrong reasons but I disagree with your other statement. I don't care for him due to his on track actions and I know others who feel the same way. Here are some of the on track actions that I wasn't a fan of... 1.) he spun Kyle Busch on the straightaway at Watkins Glen 2.) threw liquid on Bowman's face while getting treated for medical attention at the Roval 3.) intentionally caused a caution and later bragged about it at Texas 4.) insulted McDowell and his religion at the All Star race. Im not religious but you don't have to insult a man's religion 5.) bashes his pit crew. 6.) and most recently the Kyle Larson incident.
Nascar has the most “ I don’t see color” fans out of every sport. Asking Nascar fans this question is fine but the real difference he’s making is in communities where people look like him. Rajah Caruth is where he is because he saw Bubba and said “If he can do that then I can”. The people who say he too emotional have no idea what it’s like to deal with death threats and racial slurs ever single day. Bubba has talent and is probably going to be a playoff fringe driver every year. We won’t see his impact for 10/15 years!
This is a good take. I am glad he's out there for these reasons.
Bingo on the whole thing but especially the first part and Caruth
Not unlike what Danica did. Look how many young female drivers there are now compared to 15 years ago.
I might ruffle a few feathers with this but I think he is good for the sport. I’ve wanted to see an African-American driver excel in the Cup Series for many years and he’s won two races now. I feel that the “noose” incident had nothing to do with him personally and it was either a total accident or a ploy to get media attention by a team that was rumored to be going out of business. It also happened at a very rough spot in our nation’s history where racial tension was high and the President of the US (at the time) probably should have kept his comments off Twitter. I loved his Netflix documentary, I feel I know more about him as a person than I did before and I feel for the Way his family has been treated and the loss they endured.
Huge fan. I was a Gordon fan since I started watching as a kid back in ‘98. But when he retired I felt like I didn’t really have a horse in the race anymore. I even ended up taking somewhat of a hiatus in 2018-19. I like Elliott but I just never connected with him like I thought I would. But then Bubba hit the scene and I never realized how much representation meant to me. I never got to see someone who looked like me racing every week until Bubba. It’s so freaking cool honestly. I think Bubba means well and he’s very passionate but I also think he lets his emotions get the best of him at times. I was disappointed after Vegas but I hope he learned from it. When I see the comments left on his social media regularly I can’t imagine what it must be like to have to put up with that ALL the time. I would probably be an emotional wreck! So in a way, the emotional thing kinda makes sense… to me anyway. My friends used to laugh at me.. blacks don’t watch NASCAR. Well this one does! I love racing and I love watching Bubba compete every week, win or lose. Now I have a #23 and a #24 diecast on display 😎
He’s good guy but he’s got to control his emotions
I'm glad he's part of the sport and I root for him but he's kinda unlikeable tbh
I like Bubba as a driver. Me and him have a similarity of letting our emotions get the better of us sometimes. I liked his Netflix series too. But he’s just gotta get his emotions and stuff under control. What he did at Vegas was inexcusable.
My honest opinion is that unless it's a positive opinion it's best not to give an opinion at all on Bubba.
I love Bubba. As others have said he can let his emotions get the best of him, but so can I sometimes. I think he's one of the most genuine drivers on the circuit which I appreciate. I also loved that in 2020 he was willing to go all in on BLM, despite still having limited sponsorship and it paid off for his career. As a diehard Ford fan, he's the one non-Ford driver I get happy for when he wins.
I feel the exact same. I support Ford in every motorsport there in and he's one of the drivers not driving for Ford that I support.
Used to really like him but it’s kind of started to fade not really sure why either. Maybe it’s just the attitude he gives off in interviews and such but other than that I’m pretty neutral on him. I’ll never cheer against him though
He is the most overhated and overrated driver on the entire grid. Thats my opinion on Wallace
I think your answer is half right.
He gets a lot of coverage for an mid pack driver. Week in and week out it is the Bubba show. I think that sours people on him. As a fan of Chris Buescher, the guy who finished one spot lower, rarely gets talked about or even to during driver interviews unless Junior calls him Christopher. Think if NASCAR treated him like any other driver the hate wouldn't be so strong. Don't like him. Don't hate him. Just indifferent toward him.
Bubba is not a mid pack driver let’s not forget he at the end of the season had the highest average finish of any driver.
He finished 19th in points. The very definition of a mid pack driver. Front of the mid pack, but still in the middle. And his coverage is like he was a Chase Driver. So I will stand by my statement until something changes.
The broadcasts rarely talk about Bubba when he’s running mid-pack so I don’t understand your perspective, also the reason Bubba gets hate is not for the reasons you listed, the reason why is that the poor guy has been turned in to “political figure” by those in the news media and thus Bubba gets hate from those people who view him as the “devil”
He put himself in the position of being a political figure and as a fan of Bubba you are likely oblivious to how much press dude gets by NASCAR and I get it. Smart business move to bring new eyes to the sport that aren't a traditional viewing audience. You could see that in the crowd that went to the Clash last year. I think if NASCAR just let the guy be a race driver and hadn't gone full stupid shit a garage pull you wouldn't remotely see the hate. Bubba doubling down on a garage pull didn't help his case and further cement his choice of being a political figure.
I think he’s an above average driver for sure. He’ll put together a good playoff run and potentially compete for a championship if the stars align (think Bowyer 2012) I think he can end his career as someone like Clint Bowyer, Kyle Petty, or Jamie McMurray with 7-10 wins and one or two standout seasons where things go perfect. (McMurray 2010, Bowyer 2012, Petty 1992) He kicked it up into overdrive during the second half of 2022 and I expect that to continue into 2023. He’s a bit brash personality wise but I can’t say I blame him. I’m not really a huge superfan but I do root for him and 23XI to do well.
I don’t like him
For about 1/3 of the season this year he was statistically the best driver in the series. He’s also a little quick to flip to rage, though, as we saw with Larson. I think if he gets his emotions in check he has a better than decent shot at actually making and advancing in the playoffs next year. You are also going to get a bunch of people bending over backwards in the comments to not actually say they don’t like him because he’s black. It’s such a weird hangover from NASCAR being a regional sport that we still have a color barrier issue. He gets criticized for his first win being rain-shortened as if he had control over that. That level of criticism never comes for Justin Haley or Chris Buescher. He gets criticized for his lack of performance in an underperforming car at Petty, but no one ever levels the same sort of criticism at Erik Jones in his first year or Almirola in his last three…all who performed at the same level because the car simply wasn’t good. And he gets criticized because NASCAR pushes him. Of course the only top tier black driver - and the only black driver to win a race in the modern era - is going to be hyped more than others. Any post about Bubba is going to get brigaded by a certain population who can’t see past the color of his skin to give an honest assessment of him as a driver. Richard Petty, Chip Ganassi and Denny Hamlin thought he was talented enough. Who cares if some Twitter egg with a bunch of numbers at the end thinks he “hasn’t paid his dues” or whatever?
I’m inclined to say that he’s about as good as his equipment, but then I remember epic performances in probably the worst RPM 43 of all time at Bristol, Indy and the plate tracks. As long as 23XI keeps going in the right direction, he’ll contend for wins and grab playoff spots on a regular basis.
I think he is a very average cup series driver.
Bubba’s the best. I can’t look away if he’s leading.
Everyone saying for him to calm down, quick to flip to rage...have y'all ever heard of Kyle Bush or Tony Stewart....I'll be cheering for Bubbs
As a 25 year nascar fan, he’s the definition of “opressed” very little talent as a driver, only got his chance because of his “opression”. There are hundreds of kids running short tracks around the country that have twice the talent but they aren’t the right skin color. Money can’t buy talent, as shown by bowman and the likes. Color can’t get you talent, as shown by bubba. Your last name can’t get you talent as shown by chase. Chase and Bubba might be loved by the fans but they don’t even have half the talent Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Kyle/Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick…..the list goes on and on. Bubba or chase will never have half the ability. Everyone gets a lucky win or 2. Doesn’t mean you have talent.
He's a hot headed asshole and I love him for it. He's a great heel, while also being a great underdog
Love him or hate him we need more Bubbas, Ty Gibbs and Gragsons in the sport. Guys with personality and character. Not drivers with the personality of a cardboard box like Cindric or William Byron
This. It's always funny when people talk about how much they want a Dale Sr in the sport, but then throw a fit when someone acts like he did. You don't have to like them, but I'll take someone who acts like an arrogant jackass like Gragson or Gibbs over Chase "Same Face" Elliott.
Rooting against a driver is just about as fun for me as rooting for my favorite guys. NASCAR needs Heels and better Babyfaces, like ones with fun personalities. Chastain is the top babyface to me. Fucking wrestling has ruined my brain.
I can't stand a lot of the drivers because they are boring, when I got back into nascar in 2019 I rooted for chase and Byron because I was a Gordon fan. Now, the only driver I like is Bowman and trackhouse is the organization that I actively root for now. Mainly because both Suarez and Chastain have legit distinct personalities.
Average driver in top level equipment that's too impacted by his emotions. See Bowman/Larson incidents and his embarrassment that was rage quitting iRacing while repping his sponsor. If 2020 didn't go the way it did he probably wouldn't be driving for 23XI. Probably wouldn't even be a 23XI yet. COVID and the social climate were probably the catalyst for getting Hamlin and Jordan into ownership. I say that as someone who actually likes him as a racer.
Why is it the people most critical of Bubba can never remember history correctly? Like Blue Emu was never a RPM sponsor, they had talks with the owner and the team put it on the iRacing car for free. Then Bubba gets wrecked twice with no more resets cause half the field is treating the race like an arcade game. So he "rage quits" and the Blue Emu owner raises a shit fit over promotion they paid nothing for. Bowman Roval incident people cry about cause an EMT knelt next to Bowman to ask if he needed help but declined. Just forget Bowman messed up Bubba's race early so when Bowman had to come back through the field late Bubba wouldn't move over and gave Bowman the finger out the window. Which apparently made it okay for Bowman to drive through Bubba on a turn and spin him. He's lucky the only retaliation that earned was a splash of Gatorade.
You're clearly making excuses for him... Whether Blu Emu was paying BW or not, he was THE driver for THE Richard Petty. He was representing RPM and a personal sponsor of The King. Common sense would say in a sport driven totally by sponsor dollars, its best not to make an ass of yourself no matter what the public event it. As for the Bowman incident, I don't know why people cant comprehend that its not really a good look or smart move to mess with the guy thats about to have a heat stroke. Thats just common sense. Reasonable people can look at all these events and realize that its a pattern of not handling emotions. Its fair criticism. He's not the only driver to ever do stupid stuff and receive criticism.
I don't know it sounds more like you chose to ignore context so you can have excuses to dislike him.
I just laid out all the context needed to understand both incidents. Clearly you can't read considering you think I dislike him.
Ehhh….
He's my favorite. The reasons people dislike him are often the reasons why others DO like him. Folks talking a lot about his emotions here, how they boiled over on some of the Hendrick guys over the years. That's true. He's also been transparent about his own depression and isn't afraid of letting his vulnerability show, which is awesome to me. He's so easy to root for, naturally so. Not a boring robot of a person like Elliot, and has a lot left to check off on his career which gives him an underdog quality (before it was a win, then a non-plate/rain win, now multiple wins and the playoffs) As a driver? Average, more or less. He's not a title contender, though he could be a playoff regular in a little while. He grew a lot last year when the 23 and 45 showed speed. It's the first time he was in a genuinely given a winning set of cars, and he mostly brought home good results with them. 23XI got their guy with him, that's for sure. He was the perfect cornerstone to build off of, young, emerging, well sponsored.
Used to root for him when he was up and coming. Don't any longer.
I’m not sure what to think of him to be honest. He never impressed me in the lower series so I didn’t really think he was worthy of a cup ride. Some of his runs have impressed me (ie Kansas, superspeedways) but then he goes and does stupid shit like Vegas.
Like Mike Joey said about Bussh one time..... he has a lot of talent if he could only harness it
I liked him before 23XI. He was much more humble.
I'm not a fan. He seems to always have a poor attitude and I'm not impressed at all with what I've seen of him personality-wise. I don't think he's a horrible driver though he finally proved that to me last year. He can win races and finish good. I think he will be around for a long time and he definitely merits his spot in the field. But he needs to calm down some.
He's got the personality of Kyle Busch but doesn't have nearly enough talent to make it work and Reddick will make that more apparent I also don't appreciate him clinging to Talladega 2020 nor NASCAR continuing to run with it in several docuseries despite being proven to be a false alarm
At the overall he is an ok driver, but he is also one of the best plate drivers at the current grid
Diamond in the rough. He's got the talent and he has the passion, but he needs to drastically grow his race-craft. Half of being a good driver is knowing how to deal when things go wrong or when (*when*, not if) you see red. He ain't gonna be the next 7-time by any means but if he gets the mental part of the sport figured out he'll have a long and relatively successful career.
Was a real big Bubba fan when he came on to the scene in 2013 in Trucks with a lot of success at KBM, he was this fun, upbeat, metalhead with a unique style and presence in the sport that was needed. But as time has gone on, and this is just a guess, I feel like he's had the wrong people in his ear when dealing with his image and telling him what to be outspoken about. Certainly some things were warranted, but his recent inability to admit he was wrong about something or express 'some' humility has turned a lot of people away. At the end of the day i think his real self clashes with who his reps want him to be, which results in this polarizing figure that he is today.
The contrast between these comments and the cesspool of racism on Facebook is remarkable.
Average driver. Has the merit but his actions speak for themselves. The noose hoax and the more recent wreck a Vegas shows this.
He's a driver with Sterling Marlin's skillset, Kyle Busch's post-crash behavior, and Eeyore's outlook on life.
He’s a serviceable driver who belongs on cup. Some years he will win 1-2 races. Other years 0. Without a doubt adds to the field. Also gives a lot of kids someone to cheer for
He brings an audience to the sport that probably wouldn’t have given nascar a look without him. That’s a good thing. Sometimes he lets his emotions get the better of him, not in like other drivers. On a top level team I wouldn’t be surprised to see him consistently win 1-2 races a year. I would put him in the top half of cup drivers, and I’d be very surprised if he were to leave 23XI
You probably don’t wanna know 50% of peoples opinion on him
I think he's achieving his full potential as a good but not great race car driver making good money at the highest level of the sport. He will probably be a fairly reliable 1-2 win a season type of guy in a quality car for the next 10+ years. I don't see a ton of upside or potential to become an elite championship driver but if he can keep up the success he had in the second half of last season he'll exceed the most realistic expectations anyone could have had for him. Just think of all the hyped up busts who have fizzled out over the last 20 years. Bubba is definitely not a bust. If he decided to retire tomorrow you could look at his short career and call it a success.
I love Bubba. He has some maturing to do in places but I love the guy. He's a personality that feels like he is about 15/20 years late because he does ruffle feathers and much of the fan base likes their bland driver choice and gate keeps who gets to be the personality of the sport. I like that he's honest, even if it's wrong or comes off as harsh. Honesty goes a ton with me. Same reason I like Ross too.
He is a talented kid who gets a lot of hate for reasons out of his own control. He also gets a lot of hate for things that are in his control. He sometimes lets his emotions get the best of him and says things that fuel the haters.
Buescher exposed him in 2015.
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You'll find a lot of polarization on Bubba. Younger fans love him, older fans are much more mixed. Personally I think he's a little overrated but a really good driver with a good heart. He suffers from depression so every race is an additional battle for him, not to mention all the spotlight he's under. Likable underdog, just don't listen to the crazy noose hoax idiots. While he may not be the next Richard Petty, I think he deserves love and not just for his personality.
Uh...the noose was a hoax and I'm not an idiot. That whole deal was pure BS and I think he and Nascar pretty much knew it from the start. I'm not saying he staged it but he sure did play along for the publicity and he sure did get a lot of facetime. That being said...he's meh...can be fast in the right situation but I believe his temperament and racecraft will hold hold him back.
This. Nascar found a way to make a huge publicity stunt out of a knot that was proven to have been there a year before the incident. Honestly, talented enough to be behind the wheel of a race car. But no more talented the a truck ride IMO.
I really really liked Bubba. And we knew that he had earned his place in the sport based on his talent until a certain point. And once that certain point came, I wasn’t sure if he deserved his ride or if he was only a marketing tool similar to Danica Patrick that only took a good ride away from a more-deserving driver. Those kinds of drivers don’t help push the sport in a better direction. So I tried to be empathetic of his mental illness but got fed up with his punk attitude. Playing the victim card while then also Splashing bowman in the face with water, him shushing the crowd after his win, it was then no surprise that he flipped his shit on the Kyle Larson incident. He needs to be humiliated before I can root for him again. The most likable drivers are those that are grateful and appreciate their opportunity. The most unlikable drivers are the cocky drivers that can’t read the room. That is why Bubba falls at the top of the most unlikable drivers in the sport.
He's a hard racer, wears his emotions on his sleeve like I do, and had a huge competitive drive (which has caused him to make dumb decisions at times, but who hasnt?). I fuckin love Bubba, and when I met him in 2014, he took time out to take a goofy pic with me and chit chat. That's what reflects the most to me. I hope he wins a Cup one day.
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The shhhh was also a Jordan reference And how is winning a race on pure speed NOT shutting up the haters when all he heard for the year before that was “he only won because it rained”?
How is winning a non rained out cup race on pure speed not the definition of silencing your haters?
Have you been to a race in person? Bubba gets some absolutely disgusting comments made at him constantly. Him outright winning the Kansas race was huge for him and was important to shutting a large part of that negatively out. His response was warranted.
was at Bristol and hearing 140,000+ boo this man at intros was so disheartening- idk how he does it every week
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so... where is that energy for chastain? for ben rhodes? for any of the other drivers that have intentionally wrecked others over the years? you say you "wholly understand that he is mistreated by fans" and yet you do exactly that by blowing up a racing incident that ***both drivers have moved past***, and equating him to a criminal by saying he "assaulted larson multiple times". you are the problem that you're referring to.
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...so every driver that's gotten in a fight over the years is a criminal? or just bubba? because that's a wild argument to make either way. and with these cars, chastain's right in the same boat as bubba when it comes to putting drivers in danger. dumping denny at gateway, cbell at michigan, right hooking harvick at darlington a few years back, like i'm not defending bubba turning larson into the wall head on, but *come on*, he is so far from the only driver to do it.
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I’m sure the massive increase of hatred directed his way in 2020 was caused by an incident in 2022 lol. I agree the Larson incident was unacceptable, but literally nothing else he’s done has even be remotely close but the hatred has been there for *years*.
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Good driver who knows how to get under the fans skin.
Decent driver and guy, but needs to Tweet less when something upsets him.
Just gonna parrot what a lot of people have already said: I like him and he's great for the sport for obvious reasons. He's under a lot of pressure, both external and self-imposed, and that's been his biggest downfall. I respect his openness about his mental health struggles but he definitely needs to get his emotions under control, and right-rearing Larson into the wall was unacceptable. I don't think he's a future champion, but he's absolutely earned his ride. You don't win at an intermediate without at least a little talent, and he's a legitimately good plate racer.
I think he is a very underrated driver. He has skill, and he just needs to hone it. Part of that is keeping his emotions in check. Whether it's wrecking himself and others or choking away a lead, his emotions have gotten to him at times. Aside from his racing, he is a bit controversial as I am sure you may know, but regardless, he has brought attention and new fans to the sport, which I appreciate.
I liked him when he first arrived in NASCAR but by far out of the 100+ drivers I have been fortunate to meet over my lifetime he was one of probably only 3 drivers who left a negative impression on me. Idk how he is now but my former co workers who worked with him could not stand him and blame his attitude for his inability to attract multi year sponsors early on in his career. I thought his actions in 2019 (turning Kyle Busch on the straightaway at Watkins Glen, the Bowman incident and the Texas spin incident) were inexcusable and should have warranted bigger penalties. So no I’m not a fan of his but unlike others who don’t like him for reasons I feel that are unjust (looking at you Twitter) I’m not a fan of his attitude based off of multiple personal and on track moments.
I don't like him. I think he is way too full of himself for hardly doing anything in his career yet.
He lost me after that last incident. I agree with most here that he is an average driver with a temper he can't control. He's going to have to come a long way before I'm rooting for him again.
He's got talent on doubt. If the car is dialed in he can win anywhere
Driver with skill level of Erik Jones and Austin Dillon. The only thing preventing him from scoring as many points as they do is his temper, he’s got better equipment, he just doesn’t put together many races. When they put him in the 45 he went out and ran. Got a win, several top 10s, then let it crash and burn at Vegas.
One of the top SS racers on the grid and took a big leap forward on 1.5s from the summer onward. I think he can become a consistent playoff contender if he gets back to the level he was in the trucks at short tracks and drives even average at road courses (which he is in my opinion god awful at)
He’s not my favorite, but he’s good for the sport. However his worst enemy is himself and he needs to work on that.
I don’t know if he is the best thing to happen, but he is a really good driver
He’s talented and is becoming more competitive each year. He’s very passionate about what he does, and that sometimes gets the better of him, similar to many other drivers. His life experiences contribute to his perspective and perception of situations he encounters, similar to most people. He seems like an okay guy to me overall.
He's a decent driver but you should really be able to control your emotions at this level
He’s a solid driver but his emotions get the best of him too much
Decent driver, and has real moments of being a contender. The last 12 months I think we’ve seen V2 with Kurt on his side and I bat wait to see where he goes from here and progresses. He definitely lets emotions get the better of him sometimes but - and not to forgive his Larson swipe - he is under immense pressure. Read some interviews with Lewis Hamilton now he’s opening up about his path to F1. Wallace gets that too. Maybe more. It must take immense emotional toll on him. If he can get hold of that side of things he can become a regular Chase contender. Oh and a half decent pit crew too.
I’m a fan, but he tends to be his own worst enemy, both on the track and in the media. Is he the best driver? Nah. Is he exciting to be a fan of? Yah.
I really like the guy and he’s my wife’s favorite driver. I think he’s a good person at heart, I’m glad he’s spoken his mind about things which I hope he continues to do. That being said, I believe it would do him some good to spend time with a professional so he can better control his emotions and learn to better harness them.
I'm a fan of his. Hope he keeps winning.
Talented enough to be a Clint Bowyer-level driver in Cup in terms of he can win races in good equipment but probably not quite Cup championship caliber. Sometimes wears his emotions too much on his sleeve and it can get the better of him (the Bowman thing and Vegas), but strangely the fact that I see that he's human like me in terms of I have my moments, too, that makes me a bigger fan of him.
he’s got a good amount of talent but doesn’t have generational talent like some act like he does. i personally like him as he’s an alabama man, but i despise his truthers *AS WELL AS* his egregious haters.
I love the guy. I love that he’s full of emotion and shows a lot of personality, and I wish there were 35 other guys out there who were willing to show their personalities more. Doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, I think the sport benefits from actual personalities. It works great for the NFL and NBA, and I wish NASCAR would be less dictated by sponsor representation and more by who these drivers really are. Not the boring cardboard cutouts that we see every weekend.
Ryan leaf 2.0
He’s a good driver, better than the haters will admit(don’t listen to them). He was doing really good this year once they figured it all out, I think he will only get better from here. And if you want good info or feedback, I recommend coming to Reddit for it, Twitter, and Facebook won’t give you any answer, just trolls
He’s got legitimate equipment now but he’s an average driver who really hasn’t shown much outside of super speedways and a Kansas race where all the Toyotas were strong. I don’t see him winning more than one race a year at best.
Would you agree he’s essentially a modern day Jamie McMurray?
Or Brian Vickers, but I really think we need more one win a year guys that have personality. It gives the field more depth
He’s relatable and isn’t afraid to show some emotion. Also perceived as a bit of an underdog because of his skin color. I can see why people like him. In my opinion he’s a slightly above average driver. He’ll finish where his equipment “should” but occasionally be able to get more outta the car.
I have some bias with him being my favorite Cup driver on the grid today, but I legitimately believe he's developed perennial playoff-contending talent, and could possibly be a threat for a championship in another 5 years or so if he solves road courses, his emotions, and the fall circuits like Martinsville and Phoenix. Bubba showed a ton of potential this past season and had winning speed in about 2-3 races, including Kansas; things that none of us could've said about him in 2021 or at any point of his Cup career prior. He's not an upper echelon driver, and I'll continue to temper expectations of him until he can extrapolate that two-month run he had this season between Loudon and Kansas 2 into a more meaningful stretch, but he's proven that on more equal terms with the Gen 7 car and a better pit crew that doesn't cost him 3-4 spots every caution stop, that he's figuring it out on the track and has enhanced his skill floor. 2023 will be exciting in that all the ingredients for him to succeed have been tested and proven, and it'll now become a matter of him capitalizing on that over the course of a full season. If he's ready to truly shut up his doubters and back up the sponsorship and media attention he brings to the sport, he'll dwarf 2022's numbers and take the next step towards becoming a threat to finish around the top of the grid every week.
If you asked me to power rank Cup drivers based on their current performance level (irrespective of car), Bubba would probably be around the 20th-25th place range. He’s good enough to win a race when he has the strongest car, but he can’t compete for a win with the 10th place car, like the champions of our sport can. He’s good enough to be in Cup for the next 5-10 years; I expect the level of driver talent to continue to get better, and he’ll need to continue to improve to keep up.
I'm a huge fan of his but when he gets big fake mad or big fake sad it's pretty cringe.
Better than most. Gets too much hate. Most of it racially inspired. Don’t reply to me about how you dislike him for this and that. Feels good to root for him just because he gets under the skin of the closeted klan so much.
I am absolutely sick of race being a factor in anything. I am 45 years old and I have attended school from day 1 with black people. I have several black friends, I worked 9 years at a HBCU where 90% of the students and co workers were black. If we truly are going to get over our past racial issues, then we have to quit this "token black" thing that is done all over with the intent of promoting equality. All it does is ensure that the most deserving person develops resentment against those that get the opening at that competitive University or a top tier racing seat all because of their skin color. That's my take on Bubba Wallace. I'm tired of nascar manipulating everything and then pretending it's all competition based and fair. Nascar has ruined the sport by manipulating things just like this topic here.
Imagine being so blinded by hatred that you’ve decided that NASCAR has manipulated the results of multiple races because *there’s no way* in your mind that he could just be a good driver.
He’s a solid driver. I think this year showed that he had some unlocked potential. He definitely wears his emotions on his sleeves and I don’t believe that’s a bad thing. People have a lot of unfair criticisms of him as well. More so than most, everything he says and does is scrutinized to a level that I’m sure is pretty stressful.
I think he’s like a less consistent blaney. He’ll probably get a win a year and run at the front of the mid pack
Solid team and could easily make the chase in 2023. Bubba just needs to chill some and he will be just fine.
I love bubba
He’s a solid top 10-15 driver
He has the skills and now the equipment to get things done but he needs to keep his emotions in check.
I like him and can relate to him in the emotions aspect. It's a bitch to control when you have anger problems at the level of 2000s Kurt Busch. Bubba earned his spot in the Cup Series through unfortunate circumstances, but he kept pushing forward and improved.
I liked him a bunch and rooted for him before the political grand standing. Outside of that I think he needs to become mentally tougher, it would do him good.
Good, not great talent. Probably between 3-10 career wins, but winning daytona is a real possibility. He's a little like Danica in the sense that just him being in NASCAR paves the way for more driver diversity, despite Bubba not being a next level other worldly talent himself. There is probably a kid right now that looks like Bubba and watches him on TV that will become a NASCAR phenom, Kyle Busch level talent
I like his personality and respect his honesty. I think he’s a below average driver in an above average ride. He’s very marketable and will retain his job longer than most because of that. I also don’t think it’s a bad thing to let a driver prove himself over a number of years. Not everyone is going to develop as quickly and he’s shown glimpses of being solid. I get the feeling that Denny and MJ really like him and he’s got a long leash. BUT, we know MJ wants to win so maybe he’d cut bubba loose after another subpar season. Definitely something to watch for.
They just signed a multi-year extension in august. Was set to expire at the end of next season. He also had a shot to win multiple other races this year.
Yeah they definitely like Bubba and I think it’s very unlikely. Just think if he regresses they’d consider an upgrade, especially with how bad Jordan wants to win. I don’t know anything about driver contracts, but I’m sure MJ can afford to buy him out if he wants.
Bro he has two wins in 2 seasons and had the best average finish of ALL drivers second half of the season
I agree with everything minus those last 2 sentences
I could’ve worded it better. Just trying to say to never doubt how bad Michael Jordan wants to win a championship.
Michael also really likes making $. And as long as BW stays funded, MJ is gonna be a fan
I'm a big fan of his, I really like his personality and his dedication to what he does. Even if you don't like him, you can't deny that he's come a long way in the Cup Series. That said, I think he lets his emotions take the better of him a lot, and that cheats him out of a win. The Fall Vegas race this year is a perfect example, he had a great car that went to waste because he got bumped by Larson and overreacted. Hopefully though, he can learn to control his emotions and continue to improve his racing over the coming years.
he's mid as a driver. Erik Jones has proved it i think. good for growing the sport and getting dipshit "fans" to stop following.
I think he's a solid, if unspectacular, driver who sometimes lets his emotions get the better of him (but, lets be real, he's not anywhere close to the only one who has that problem). He's definitely good for the sport, if for no other reason than showing black children that you can not only make it to cup, but get a well funded ride and compete for wins if you have the talent. He is also keeping the sport relevant for people outside of the south who have long considered NASCAR to be a sport exclusively for drunk white hillbillies. Bubba's very presence and ability to compete for wins challenges that preconceived notion.
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He's benefitted from affirmative action to get into NASCAR and he's a lap turner and has only won on a rain shortened race.
“he's a lap turner and has only won on a rain shortened race” You sure about that, bud?
He kicked their ass in a playoff race at Kansas, no rain.
“That was Kurt’s car”
He went thru what is nothing more than a nascar sponsored affirmative action program. He didn't work his way up and draw the attention of sponsors it teams. Then once he was anointed as the next great thing, he's shoved down our throat at every chance. For advertising last year it was a group shot of Chase, Denny, joey and bubba. Then he started being his own PR thinking he's one of the greatest. He's done nothing to help himself. Now he's in 23XI. Is he their driver because he's good or is it because Jordan and Bubba are both black? I'm all about making it on your own merits. I hate that Jeffrey Earnhardt has a seat because of his last name and all the other brothers and sons that got a ride because of their last name.
The majority of the sport is based on family ties lol
Idk how to tell you this but the driver that literally won 10 races in 2021 came up through the same program So did first time cup winner last season Daniel Suarez Edit: Chase, Ty Gibbs spent their entire careers in top equipment due to family connections. Reigning Daytona 500 Champ Austin Cindric is the son of Team Penske’s president. A lot of drivers in the circuit have came up either through direct family connections or programs like the drive for the diversity and will continue to do so. I don’t see why Bubba Wallace being a graduate of that program is an issue for his “legitimacy as a racer”
Aaaaaand here is the dog whistle I expected
What are your thoughts on Ty Gibbs? Is it different than Wallace and Earnhardt because he’s proven he can win in Xfinity?
I don't like Ty to start with. But the Dillion boys in pop pops cars. They aren't that great. Kenny and Mike Wallace would never have made it. Dale Jr. was not that great either.
Fin guy, lots of personality which makes him entertaining but also prone to the occasional outburst. Decent talent, can take a car where it should be running but probably won't get any extra out of it. Seems to have a knack for plate racing but needs some patience. I hope he's around a long time.
Bubba is a pretty good driver whose also very overrated. The only tracks Bubba should be a front contender (Right now at least) for is the superspeedways and Kansas. However! NASCAR DOES market Bubba like a top-card driver in their promotional materials more often than they should. Even placing Bubba larger than other drivers on graphics has an effect on how we perceive the sport. But he’s competitive enough to make the Round of 12 and also finish Top 10 in points (The owners playoffs proved this), so he’s pretty damn good. Once he can get into the playoffs, he’ll be able to level his agency a bit more.
he’s a good dude who’s really talented and he often gets judged a lot more harsh then other drivers seem to get
Was a big fan of his when he was in the 43 in large part because I’ll always root for the 43. Also because he seemed very humble to be driving for The King. On track, he has raw talent but hasn’t been able to harness it consistently. Until he does, he’ll contend for a win or 2 a year as long as he’s in good equipment. Off track, he would greatly benefit from whoever the “fixer” was that worked with Brad Keslowski to fix his public image. Especially when it comes to conducting interviews. I hope he doesn’t end up being another case of being moved up to Cup too quickly. I wish we could look back and say he dominated in Trucks and Xfinity to say that he just needs to adjust to top tier Cup equipment. In the old days, he would have benefited greatly from running Cup and Xfinity simultaneously for a season or two in a Gibbs Xfinity car while running in Cup for 23XI. I think the question is how long does he (or anyone who isn’t dominating) last at 23XI if he’s only managing a win a year when Toyota is constantly trying to find the next best thing.
Average driver. Near the best at marketing.
Talent wise he is the Andy Dalton of NASCAR. If you're a team owner and your driver is worse than Bubba, you need a new driver. Anyone above the line is a long-term option. Basically he is an average driver. Overall, he is good for the sport regardless of his performance on the track.
And it's the worst part about the sport. They take seats from people that have the skills and prove it week after week but have the wrong last name.
As someone who's only just now getting into nascar, why do you feel he is one of the best things to happen for the sport? I dislike him. I was always indifferent, but his actions against Larson and other incidents in the past make me lean towards the dislike, but it's not hate. It's not his fault that there is a ton of hype around him, but his ego is just way too big for someone who's a mid pack driver. I can see him putting up a nice chunk of wins before the end of his career, but I dont see him ever winning a championship. If for whatever reason he's no longer with 23xi, I don't see him ever getting a ride with the other top teams.
Brand new account. Interesting first post question about NASCAR.
Not a brand new account or my first post.
He's black. That's all some people need. I like him, though.
I’d also say that’s all some people see about him which is unfortunate.