“You can’t pronounce my name?!”: Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suárez share pre-race banter at Bristol

Cup Series drivers Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suárez shared a laugh prior to the start of Saturday's Bass Pro Shops Night Race at the Bristol Motor Speedway. The two guffawed about how the driver of the #23 23XI Racing Toyota couldn't pronounce the Mexican-born driver's name.

In a video posted by Trackhouse Racing on X, the two were seen riding alongside each other on separate golf carts. The driver of the #99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet shouted across to the Alabama driver that he didn't know how to pronounce his name, asking:

"You can't pronounce my name?!"

The two-time Cup race winner responded in an attempt to pronounce it correctly, but ended up saying:

"Huarez."

The videographer, who was riding on the back of this year's Atlanta winner's golf cart, asked him how he pronounces his name, to which the 32-year-old responded with the correct pronunciation. The clip then jumps to Wallace's golf cart riding behind Suárez's, where the former Talladega winner tries again to pronounce the former Xfinity Series champion's name correctly, but once more says:

"Huarez."

Suárez found the attempt humorous as he shared a laugh with Wallace as the two carried on their way on their respective golf carts.

Suárez placed 31st in Saturday night's race, four laps behind race winner Kyle Larson. Despite the difficult run, he managed to wheel his #99 Freeway Insurance car into the Round of 12 with an 11-point gap over the cut-line. Suárez entered Saturday's event with a 27-point cushion.

Wallace, meanwhile, managed to wheel his #23 Toyota Genuine Parts car to a third-place finish, the highest-finishing non-playoff driver in the field. His co-owner, Denny Hamlin, placed fourth to advance into the Round of 12 after entering the race six points below the cutoff.

Bubba Wallace and Daniel Suárez 2024 seasons to this point

After making his first playoff appearance and advancing to the Round of 12 last season, Bubba Wallace failed to make the playoffs this time around. Through the 26-race regular season, Wallace posted five top-fives, a pole at Darlington, and a stage victory. It was announced this past week that Wallace will return to 23XI Racing, co-owned by 54-time Cup Series winner Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan, after signing a mult-year extension with the team.

On the other hand, Daniel Suárez made the playoffs this season after winning the second race of the season at Atlanta in a three-wide photo finish over Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch. This season marks Suárez's second playoff appearance after making the 16-driver field in 2022.

Through 29 races, Suárez has tallied three top-fives and a stage win. A string of solid performances in the opening round of the playoffs, including a runner-up finish in the opener at Atlanta, helped push him into the upcoming Round of 12.