UPDATE 8:10 PM ET: A pair of cryptic tweets were posted by Wallace on May 6th. They elude to a possibility that Wallace is dealing with much more than just frustration from a rough season. It’s a good reminder that if you are in a rough place in life, please reach out and get help if you believe it is needed.
Haven't been a good place for some time now, but rolling under the stands after the race and hearing everybodys shouts and support, was nice.
Appreciate y'all
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) May 7, 2019
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Ha..with a laugh and smile like this every week you'd think there is no way one could mask so much negative and dark ?. Lonely dark roads ain't fun, keep on keeping on I guess. pic.twitter.com/uaXncfuOE5
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) May 7, 2019
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From the onset of his NASCAR career, Bubba Wallace has always been one of the more outgoing bubbly personalities in the entire sport. However, as he took part in media breakaway sessions at Kansas Speedway on Friday, it was apparent that an abysmal sophomore season is wearing on the driver’s psyche.
When asked how he moves forward from a tough race weekend, Wallace had a not so upbeat answer.
“The mental game has been cloudy,” Wallace said. “We just show up next weekend.”
Wallace’s session continued with the driver far less peppy than his normal self that we’ve grown accustom to. But he continued to talk about his trying season.
“You are the one that always tells me to keep smiling,” Wallace said of his fans. “It’s been a rough moment for a while. The fans and family help a lot. I’m just trying to do everything I can.”
Wallace’s NASCAR Cup Series rookie campaign started a season ago with a runner-up finish in the sport’s biggest race — the Daytona 500. In the 46 races since that amazing start, Wallace has scored just two top-10 finishes. So far in 2019, Wallace has yet to nab a top-10 finish. Some of the issues with the No. 43 team this season and last were because the young driver is still learning the ropes in the Cup Series. But a bunch of the problem is shriveling sponsorship dollars.
“The on-track is what it is and it will get better over time,” said Wallace. “You just have to try to be the best that you can be and sometimes it’s not good enough.”
Wallace continued by saying, “I’m my worst critic. It’s my competitive nature.”
It was a bizarre sight to see Wallace so deflated and we hope he and the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team can turn things around soon.
