23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace Jr. is one of the most prominent marketing assets NASCAR has in terms of its driver line-up in the modern day and age. Seen driving the #23 DoorDash Toyota Camry TRD for his team, the Mobile, Alabama native has been one of the most popular faces in the sport for the past few years. Being the sole African-American driver to race in the NASCAR Cup Series currently, the 28-year-old has taken it upon himself to bring positive change to a sport that is otherwise closely guarded by its patrons.
Ever since his appearance on the Netflix docuseries Race: Bubba Wallace was released, Bubba Wallace Jr. has shot into the limelight in the sport. He made major headlines in the stock car racing fraternity back in 2020 when he stood up against racial discrimination on the track by wearing a 'Black Lives Matter' T-shirt. A unique livery featuring the same slogan on his car in the same season was an example of how outspoken he was. His activism against the Confederate flag and the ensuing controversy around the noose found in his garage at Talladega Superspeedway also put the world's attention on the young driver.
Wallace Jr. started in the junior ranks of stock car racing and quickly caught the public's eye for his aggressive driving style and his hunger to win. His results also backed up his abilities behind the wheel of a race car in the lower ranks of the sport. Ever since his switch to 23XI Racing, a team owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan in 2021, his results have not exactly shone through in the Cup Series.
The former Richard Petty Motorsports driver, however, managed to turn his fortunes around in the second half of the 2022 season after consecutive top-10 finishes. Bubba Wallace Jr.'s average starting position this year has been 19.27, with 18.73 being his average finish. Both these numbers, however, are up from last year.
Bubba Wallace Jr.'s performance in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season
The 2021 season of the highest echelon in stock car racing saw Bubba Wallace Jr. achieve an average starting position of 19.94 along with an average finishing position of 19.67 while adapting to the new team's environment.
The Mobile, Alabama native and the #23 crew seemed to have turned a stone in the second half of 2022, which led to their return to the front of the field. The 28-year-old driver finished off the regular season this year with a P11 in the final race at Daytona International Speedway.