If you’re wondering if you’ll have any problems picking out Bubba Wallace’s race car during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America, don’t worry.
Fans will see the driver’s car from the stands and from their homes since his face will be plastered on the hood for the race scheduled for July 4. Putting the 23XI Racing driver’s face on the hood was decided after fans voted online.
During the race, Wallace will be behind the wheel of a Dr. Pepper-sponsored Toyota Camry with a giant photo of him drinking a can of the popular soda. Additionally, the rear bumper includes the message “Eat My Bubbles” for anyone he passes— which is something his competitors should take seriously considering his track record as a driver.
So far, life on the track has been good for Wallace. He recently had a fifth-place finish at Pocono Raceway and placed fifth and ninth in his two previous outings at Road America in the Xfinity series.
Per BetMGM, the Cup Series hasn’t been back to the track since 1956, leaving racing experts unsure who to pick as a potential winner. So far, the favorites to win are Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and Martin Truex Jr.
As for Wallace, he isn’t the first driver to have his face on a hood. Back in 2019, Corey LaJoie’s car featured a wacky design at that year’s Daytona 500 for his Old Spice sponsorship.
During Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway, Wallace was one of four full-time drivers who had not yet secured a top 10 finish this year.
Michael Jordan’s Words of Encouragement to Bubba Wallace
Still, the Alabama native had high hopes when he started the season, such as making the playoffs and capturing at least two wins. While he’s garnered neither of those goals, the 27-year-old finished in fifth place in Sunday’s 140-lap race in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
The result was his fourth top-five finish in 131 career starts and moved him up into a 19th place tie in the rankings. His previous best finish for the season had been an 11th place effort at Dover International Speedway in May.
Michael Jordan, who co-owns 23X1 Racing with Denny Hamlin, has noticed Wallace’s progress and has encouraged him to keep pushing. According to reporting from Adam Stern, Jordan sent Wallace a text after the Pocono race. The text reportedly encouraged Wallace to finish in every remaining race inside the Top 10.
In the last 12 races, Wallace has finished no worse than 16th place. Although, over the previous seven races, he has earned five top-14 finishes. For Wallace and his team, finishing inside the Top 10 is a reasonable but ambitious goal. Maybe with the NBA legend’s words of encouragement, he can make it happen.
