"Nothing else matters anymore": Bubba Wallace gets candid about how fatherhood redefined his career

NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace recently spoke about how his priorities shifted after the birth of his son. Coming off his second consecutive third-place finish at Martinsville last week, the 23XI Racing driver shared how fatherhood has changed his outlook on racing.

Wallace and his wife, Amanda, welcomed their first child, Becks Hayden in late September last year. During a recent appearance on CBS News's 'CBS Mornings,' the 31-year-old was asked about how he deals with fear and anxiety before each race.

"I think, you know, coming into this year, we've had a lot of good things happen off the racetrack, baby boy being born. It's a nice perspective shift, a mentality shift, to where, you know, I say this in the most positive way, but nothing else matters anymore, you know? Besides being a great father, being a great husband, being a great, just, family man," Bubba Wallace said (01:30 onwards).

"And I think, prior to that, it was always racing first. And I've missed out on a lot of good memories and opportunities by putting that first and causing a lot of stress from within or the people surrounding me," he added.

Bubba Wallace is currently ranked eighth in the standings after Sunday's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, where he finished behind Toyota teammates Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell. Wallace was also the fastest during practice at the short track on Saturday and beat Bell and Hamlin with a top speed of 94.139 mph. He finished third at Homestead the previous week and has three top-10 finishes so far this year.

The NASCAR Cup Series will head to Darlington Raceway for the eighth race of the season. The teams will also sport retro paint schemes for the 'Throwback Weekend' and as the track celebrates its 75th anniversary.

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"He's always watching" - Bubba Wallace on 23XI Racing team co-owner Michael Jordan

Bubba Wallace joined 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, in 2021. He has since won two races, the latest of which came in 2022 at Kansas Speedway.

Wallace gave 23XI its first win in the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega. When asked about his communications with Jordan, he shared that the NBA star stays very involved.

"We talk multiple times throughout the week, and definitely, there's a text before and definitely after a race. He's watching. Good or bad, win, lose, or draw, he's always watching," Bubba Wallace said (04:31).

Meanwhile, 23XI Racing recently announced a new sponsor for the No. 23 team. Robinhood, a financial company, will support Wallace and teammate Corey Heim in multiple races this season. Wallace's "Robin Neon" car scheme will debut at Kansas Speedway next month.

Wallace will head to Darlington with sponsorship from Columbia Sportswear.