"I’m not here to be a TV star": When Bubba Wallace shared his mindset in NASCAR's spotlight with Richard Petty

Seven years ago, 23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace shared his frame of mind after filming a docuseries and shared advice from NASCAR legend Richard Petty.

Wallace was part of an eight-part documentary, 'Behind the Wall: Bubba Wallace' that showed his early days in the sport leading up to his first full-time season in the Cup Series with Richard Petty Motorsports. During a 2018 interview, Wallace talked about the stress of filming the documentary and his gratitude for the opportunity before driving the seven-time NASCAR Cup champion's car on his Daytona 500 debut.

"But I’m not here to be a TV star. I’m here to race cars. It’s definitely a stress reliever to know I have a permanent home for this year, so I couldn’t be more thankful to Richard Petty, The King, for allowing me to step behind the wheel of No. 43 and pilot it all year and to showcase it," Wallace said (via USA Today in February 2018).

Wallace was the first full-time African-American NASCAR Cup Series driver since 1971. He competed in the legendary No. 43 Chevrolet in 2018 and shared Petty's advice to stay grounded.

"Richard Petty told me before climbing in, ‘No need to be a hero. No need to overstep anything that you’re doing. I’m here for a reason and here because I proved my point, so just go out there and do what you do,'" Wallace said.

Wallace raced for Richard Petty Motorsports till 2020 and joined 23XI Racing in the following year.

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"He's still got it" - Bubba Wallace on Richard Petty turning 85

Wallace opened up about playing Rummy Cube with Petty during a West Coast trip. During a 2022 interview with Frontstretch, Wallace was asked to share a standout memory with Petty, who turned 85 that year.

"It was throughout the West Coast swing. You know, he had a house out in Jackson Hole, and a group of us went out there. We were sitting there playing the board game called Rummy Cube, and I learned to play that a few years ago, and I really enjoy it," Wallace said (03:12 onwards).

"You wouldn't think they'd [Richard Petty] really understand a board game, right? So, we sit down and we play, and he taps me on the shoulder with the spit cup. He said, 'Do this right here, put this number and this number together, and do all this stuff.' And it was, like, spot on...That was cool. Just that side of things was special. I mean, just to show that he's with it on every aspect of life. He's still got it. So, it's cool," he added.

Richard Petty Motorsports closed down in 2021 after Maurice J. Gallagher Jr. bought a majority stake in the team.