“I’m about to have a kid; I’ll put all the BS aside” - Bubba Wallace talks missing the playoffs, tough days, and future plans

23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace is keeping a positive attitude despite missing out on the NASCAR playoffs this year. In a recent chat, he shared his thoughts on the situation and his future.

Wallace missed the NASCAR playoffs despite a strong performance during the final regular season race in Darlington. He led 37 laps at the Cook Out Southern 500 and won the pole position. However, his teammate, Tyler Reddick, made it to the playoffs after winning the regular season championship.

In a recent media interaction, Bubba Wallace talked about feeling disappointed about not making the playoffs but being happy for his team.

"On the outside looking in, it sucks, you know, but at the same time, you're happy for the team," Wallace said (0:09).

Looking ahead, Wallace is excited about a major life change. He and his wife are expecting their first child in October this year, right around Wallace's 31st birthday on the 8th.

“I’m about to have a kid. So, things are going to change. I’m good, though. It’s a new weekend. I’ll put all the BS aside and go out and have a good time,” he said (1:23).

Bubba Wallace also praised his team's efforts and the quality of its cars. He emphasized that his team has been competitive at every race, and despite missing the playoffs, he is determined to push forward.

“All you can ask for is just to be competitive, and that's where we're at. So, it's fun having the pressure of figuring it out when the weekend starts, because you know that the car's capable of winning...So, obviously I got to do better job doing that, but no, all in all, you just move forward these next 10 weeks and see what we can do," he added (00:41).

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Bubba Wallace on winning his first pole position of the 2024 season

Bubba Wallace earned his first pole position of this season in qualifying last Sunday at the final race before the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in Darlington.

Wallace set a lap time of 29.421 seconds at 167.146 mph in the final round, just ahead of Kyle Larson. After that, he said that he felt less pressured and appreciated his 23XI Racing team for helping him secure his third career pole position.

"Looking at us coming in, being on the bubble, 21 points out, a ton of pressure, well, I think the pressure just switched," Wallace said.

Unfortunately, Wallace's No. 23 Toyota was damaged in a crash with 22 laps to go and he could not catch up to Chris Buescher, whom he had been ahead of for most of the race.