Bubba Wallace Appreciation Thread

12th place finish in Vegas and last weeks 16th place finish May not have drawn much attention but they show Bubba has started to really develop into a complete driver. He pointed in this year (not a bad thing) but he is setting up to surprise someone on a non super speedway next year I think
 
RaceCritter said:
12th place finish in Vegas and last weeks 16th place finish May not have drawn much attention but they show Bubba has started to really develop into a complete driver. He pointed in this year (not a bad thing) but he is setting up to surprise someone on a non super speedway next year
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Bubba’s had some slow starts to the season so he could obviously help himself a lot by changing that.

I’m just spitballing but I doubt Stenhouse makes the 2025 playoffs and McDowell could miss too. Obviously another spot will open up due to Harvick’s retirement.

I think Elliott, Bowman and Gibbs will make the playoffs next year. That will likely leave drivers like McD, Suarez & Wallace scrambling to make up the last spot.
 
Bubba continues to be a work in progress. I have followed his career since his bandolero days. He is now 30 with 2 wins in about 200 cup races. At some point the tide stats turning for these guys.
 
Kiante said:
Top 10 finish in the year.

Sucks he wasn't able to win, but seeing the growing consistency is awesome. Congrats to Bubba, hoping for more next year.
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I don’t see Bubba ever getting to double digits in wins or ever challenging for a championship but he can still carve out a good career.
 
The struggle is real, off Bubba’s Instagram
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Nothing wrong with being forthright about mental illness but I believe what Bubba posted to Instagram would be better off kept between him and his psychiatrist. Hopefully he is seeing a mental health professional as what he’s going through is complete anguish.
 
AlTerego said:
Nothing wrong with being forthright about mental illness but I believe what Bubba posted to Instagram would be better off kept between him and his psychiatrist. Hopefully he is seeing a mental health professional as what he’s going through is complete anguish.
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How do we erase the stigma of mental illness without talking about it from a first person perspective? I applaud Bubba.
 
The impact this young man has on the world is epic. We don't understand what he is up against as the face of NASCAR diversity. I love and admire his strength. I obviously hang out in the Toyota Pit Experience a ton while at the track. Bubba had an appearance on Sunday. A couple of take aways....In comparison to his appearance last year, the crowd was much more diverse...and Bubba made a point to sign for every kid--and made a special point of interacting with the children of color. He is 29.

He is second to Denny in boos in intros. Do we think that is because of his driving ability or attitude? You make the call. I have my opinions. So, 29 years old....impacting the world in a huge way.....becoming a star talent.....taking care of the kids......literally changing the face of NASCAR....and gets the **** booed out of him. I might be silent on a plane heading home as well. Bubba will be okay. Some things in life are bigger than this sport.
 
Revman said:
How do we erase the stigma of mental illness without talking about it from a first person perspective? I applaud
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Revman said:
How do we erase the stigma of mental illness without talking about it from a first person perspective? I applaud Bubba.
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You’ve spoken of your unnatural and extreme bias before. IMO that makes it impossible to have any conversation with you other than meaningless arguing. On that basis I won’t have this discussion with you.
 
First off I'd like to say that I hope Bubba gets whatever help he needs. Sounds like there may be some deep rooted family issues bothering him.

I'm by no means a medical professional but in my experience the ones that suffer in silence are really the ones to be concerned about

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
 
AlTerego said:
Nothing wrong with being forthright about mental illness but I believe what Bubba posted to Instagram would be better off kept between him and his psychiatrist. Hopefully he is seeing a mental health professional as what he’s going through is complete anguish.
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In some cases where people are dealing with inner demons, speaking out on social media or to friends helps them deal with those issues but this is not an indicator Bubba needs psychiatric assistance.
In Bubba's situation, a lot of his problems come from placing tremendous pressure on himself to succeed. He knows his success and failures are under a microscope of public opinion. more often than not, based on his race. He is judged more critically than any other driver in this series.

Revman is correct. Mental illness is a serious problem and one that needs to be addressed openly in order to remove the stigma attached to it as a weakness. People from every walk of life deal with personal mental demons. Every time there is a mass shooting the excuse is mental illness, yet no one seems inclined to do anything to alleviate the situation.
This is not intended to be a political statement but it is intended to bring to the forefront an issue that must be addressed, openly and publicly, for it is far too serious a problem to continue to kick down the road.

( Whizzer has put his soap box away and left the building )
 
wi_racefan said:
First off I'd like to say that I hope Bubba gets whatever help he needs. Sounds like there may be some deep rooted family issues bothering him.

I'm by no means a medical professional but in my experience the ones that suffer in silence are really the ones to be concerned about

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
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Good post! I don’t know the nature of Bubba’s mental health issues but I know it’s a lifetime battle for many. Fortunately for him he has the resources to get the best treatment available. It would be great if Bubba would start some sort of foundation for others with mental health problems that are less fortunate than he is.
 
Whizzer said:
In some cases where people are dealing with inner demons, speaking out on social media or to friends helps them deal with those issues but this is not an indicator Bubba needs psychiatric assistance.
In Bubba's situation, a lot of his problems come from placing tremendous pressure on himself to succeed. He knows his success and failures are under a microscope of public opinion. more often than not, based on his race. He is judged more critically than any other driver in this series.

Revman is correct. Mental illness is a serious problem and one that needs to be addressed openly in order to remove the stigma attached to it as a weakness. People from every walk of life deal with personal mental demons. Every time there is a mass shooting the excuse is mental illness, yet no one seems inclined to do anything to alleviate the situation.
This is not intended to be a political statement but it is intended to bring to the forefront an issue that must be addressed, openly and publicly, for it is far too serious a problem to continue to kick down the road.

( Whizzer has put his soap box away and left the building )
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Maybe airing out your feelings publicly is what is recommended now days. I’m sure Bubba suffers a lot more than he lets on and I hope he can see improvement with that.
 
AlTerego said:
Nothing wrong with being forthright about mental illness but I believe what Bubba posted to Instagram would be better off kept between him and his psychiatrist. Hopefully he is seeing a mental health professional as what he’s going through is complete anguish.
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Even when all the things in the world align, sometimes it's never enough. That's the post of someone who is getting the necessary help for themselves. Men should be able to be vulnerable and tell about where they are from a mental standpoint.

He's been dealing with it for a long time, but I always appreciate him sharing where he is from a mental standpoint. The seasons are a grind from beginning to end, hopefully he's able to rest a bit and get himself where he needs to be. This goes for any driver as well or any person.
 
AlTerego said:
Maybe airing out your feelings publicly is what is recommended now days. I’m sure Bubba suffers a lot more than he lets on and I hope he can see improvement with that.
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Initially I had the same thought regarding his post. But after thinking about it, if this helps Bubba deal with his emotions and perhaps provides him with a sense of purpose that is beyond driving a race car, then more power to him. Everyone one of us in this world has our own darkness to deal with and everyone of us has our own way of dealing with it.
Obviously I don't know Bubba, but it appears he has been dealing with depression for far too long and I hope he can somehow find a way to overcome his struggle.
 
DIDIT said:
Initially I had the same thought regarding his post. But after thinking about it, if this helps Bubba deal with his emotions and perhaps provides him with a sense of purpose that is beyond driving a race car, then more power to him. Everyone one of us in this world has our own darkness to deal with and everyone of us has our own way of dealing with it.
Obviously I don't know Bubba, but it appears he has been dealing with depression for far too long and I hope he can somehow find a way to overcome his struggle.
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I think that we need to understand that this post represented a dark moment for him. I believe--I can't be sure--that he has bright moments as well. I saw him at the Toyota Racing Experience Sunday morning, and he was in great spirits....an act? Who knows...but I think Bubba is going to be okay, and I am proud that he is taking us on the journey. He is a historic and transformational athlete in this sport we love. We are witnessing change and history, and we have this 29 year old to thank.
 
Looked great all race and he couldn’t control boneheaded pit crew mistake at the end. He’s looking strong hope they get the pit straightened out.
 
The pit crew has to clearly know they cost their driver a potential win. Maybe, just maybe this will be the needed kick in the pride to perform better
 
After last week Bubba and crew bunch back and look amazing in all three stages. Top 5 all the way. The track was pretty unforgiving to #2 on restarts but no one should be unhappy about this performance.
 
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Gibbs dropped 3 places and Bell 5 after Martinsville. They should do better at Texas on a 1.5 track. Wallace is usually pretty good at the larger tracks and has been knocking on the door.
 
I was with Fender at the truck race in Martinsville in 2014 when Bubba won his first race. While many fans were clapping and enjoying the moment there were many shouting slurs and negative comments.

Definitely not a time anyone to be proud of. American's are a divided lot and many still fighting a war that ended 159 years ago.
 
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