ET spoke to Wallace at the Daytona 500s 65th anniversary in Daytona, Florida over the weekend.
Bubba Wallace is getting candid about his life on and off the racetrack! ET spoke to the NASCAR driver in Daytona, Florida at the Daytona 500 race's 65th anniversary over the weekend, where he opened up about his trailblazing career and life as a newly married man.
"I was talking about this the other day or earlier this week, and it's something you never think about going into things right, and I think that's part of growing up and maturing, is realizing the impact that I have on people that are following me," Wallace -- the only full-time Black driver to compete in NASCAR's three national series -- said of making his mark on the sport. "So, super humbling when we sit here and talk about it."
In addition to the Daytona milestone event, NASCAR was celebrating its 75th anniversary as well.
As for how he hopes his success can inspire the next generation of drivers, Wallace said, "I just go out and try and be the best racer I can be, and the best person I can be off the racetrack. And I let everything else follow in suit."
While Wallace did not come out on top in this year's Daytona 500, he did share a bit of what goes into preparing for a big race like Sunday's and his mindset after his big second-place finish in 2022.
"Those races are in the past now, and you just hope that you can get yourself in that position coming down the last lap again, because now you know what to do different," he explained. "So, to say that there's pressure isn't really right because there's so many circumstances that can take you out of the race from happening, so, we just have to get to that spot and then we'll worry about the pressure."
When it comes to pre-race rituals, Wallace said it's important for him to take some time for himself to get "in the right head space."
"I get usually about an hour or 45 minutes to an hour to myself after meetings and media and press and all this stuff to come back to the bus and eat a good meal, and put on some music," Wallace shared. "So, that kind of gets me in the right head space."
Off the track, the 23XI Racing driver is a newly married man, tying the knot with longtime love Amanda Carter on New Year's Eve. As for how they celebrated their nuptials, Wallace said the pair jetted off to Bora Bora before he had to strap back into the driver's seat for Daytona.
"We gave ourselves twelve days in Bora Bora on our honeymoon to totally get away and relax. We realized after we got back, that that was a little too long. I think we're good enough for nine days of being away from home, being away from our dog," he said. "But we were able to just disconnect and enjoy time together, because right after that, it was media, press and now we're here in Daytona, so it's been a pretty busy off-season."
Not much has changed for the couple, who have known each other since high school, outside of wedding rings and last names, Wallace said.
When it comes to what's next for number 23, Wallace teased a potential collab with Kelly Rowland, who he was surprised to learn was a fan.
"I would say recently it was Kelly Rowland," Wallace said when asked who the latest celebrity NASCAR fan to slide into his DMs is. "She was out at the Clash, which was super cool, and I was pumped that she was there and just fired back a reply to her story, and she replied right back. I was like, 'Oh, cool.' So, I think we're going to work it out to get her out to Fontana. So, I'm excited."
For more on the race car driver, check out the video below.
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