William Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. has major updates regarding ownership and team offers.
Bubba Wallace Team Offers
Wallace confirmed to NBC Sports that both Richard Petty Motorsports and Chip Ganassi Racing made offers. At the end of this season, Wallace will become a free agent after his contract with Richard Petty Motorsports concludes.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s offer would have him driving the No. 42 car in the 2021 season. Previously, ex-champion Matt Kenseth drove the No. 42 car for the company after joining the team back in April.
Last month, it was revealed that Wallace was offered an ownership stake in Richard Petty Motorsports. “We’re in discussions with him about an extension that includes ownership in the team,” majority owner, Andrew Murstein said. In addition, he said that he expected the deal to be finalized in the upcoming weeks.
“There’s a plethora of drivers, there is only one Bubba,” Murstein continued. “We went from probably having one meeting a week with a potential sponsor to five the last five weeks or so,” he added. “I think Bubba is probably the most recognizable NASCAR driver now, other than Richard Petty. So we’ve got probably the two most recognizable names in the sport. It’s a marketer’s dream.”
Sponsorships
Wallace signed a multi-year deal with Columbia Sportswear. Columbia President Joe Boyle told The Associated Press that the reasoning behind the sponsorship was not because of his activism or anything outside of his love for the outdoors.
“It wasn’t the (activism) that stood out for us, it was that he grew up in the outdoors,” he said. Some of his favorite pastimes include photography, hiking, biking and golf.
“With COVID there’s not a lot of sports that have been on and with popular culture and everything Bubba has stood up for, we had really been watching him as he rose to national attention,” he added. “Everything he stood for, in terms of his fortitude, courage, conviction around what he is standing up for, that’s what really Columbia has stood up for all these years, as well.”
