It seems like Bubba Wallace is finally embracing the vlogger lifestyle. The 23XI Racing driver recently uploaded the first video from his Summer Shootout vlog series, giving fans some behind-the-scenes footage about his experience in grassroots racing. Wallace, who learned his trade by racing Legend Cars and Bandoleros, was returning to the Summer Shootout after a five-year break and captured his first day back with a detailed vlog showcasing his experience.
Wallace has come under heavy criticism recently, particularly after the door-slamming incident with Alex Bowman at the Chicago Street Course that resulted in a $50,000 fine and widespread social media condemnation. However, the reactions to his vlogging attempt couldn’t have been more positive, with fans getting a peek into the 23XI Racing driver’s personality behind the scenes.
Is Bubba Wallace becoming the fan favorite after all?
Just like Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace also began his racing career at the summer racing spectacle. Piloting the No. 76 Legend Car in the Pro Division, Wallace was seen struggling with the adaptation process, as the power-to-weight ratio of the car is very different from what he is used to in the NASCAR Cup Series. As a result, the 23XI driver finished P18 in qualifying and P15 at the end of the first race, an outcome that Wallace expected, given his long-term hiatus from the format.
Before the event, Bubba Wallace was asked about what got him started racing in the summer shootout, as seen in his YouTube video. The 23XI Racing driver candidly replied, “That was 2004 I believe, we started racing go-karts at Concord Speedway and Bandos were there so we were kind of exposed to that. So, I kind of got my feet wet in 04, took a little bit of a hiatus, came back in 2019 and now I’m back here in 2024. They were just fun, you go out here, get in a couple of fights here and there. I have my fair share. I was always telling people, we were winning and fighting, or we were losing and fighting. Plan to do no fighting this year, I got sponsors to worry about now.”
What made the vlog endearing, especially for fans, is that they got to see a side of Bubba Wallace they hadn’t before. The vlog featured informal interactions with Kevin Harvick, who was recounting his experience with his son Keelan, as well as the rapport he shares with his wife Amanda Wallace. Throughout the vlog, Wallace’s positivity was infectious, as he continued to laugh and joke around with everyone, despite the experience being a humbling one for the Cup Series driver.
As things stand, the 30-year-old has 13 victories across the U.S. Legends Pro Division, VP Racing Fuels Semi-Pro, and Bandolero Bandits Division, and Bubba Wallace will hope that his vlogs can feature on-track achievements in the upcoming weeks.
It seems that the 23XI Racing driver, Bubba Wallace, might have drawn inspiration from Hailie Deegan‘s successful vlogging approach. His recent decision to embrace vlogging has had a notable impact, with his YouTube subscriber count soaring from 7.8k to 8.55k just one day after his latest video went live.
Meanwhile, despite a challenging season and an uncertain future after leaving AM Racing, Hailie Deegan continues to enjoy a strong YouTube presence. She boasts an impressive 586k subscribers who regularly tune in to follow her journey, demonstrating the lasting appeal and influence of her content.
With Wallace intending to compete at all 10 events this summer, there appear to be plenty more videos for fans to look forward to, and given their reaction to his first vlog, it seems like they cannot wait for more!
