Bubba Wallace: “My family pushes me each and every day and they might not even know it.”
Darrell Wallace Jr made history on Sunday night in the Daytona 500. Finishing 2nd, Bubba Wallace is in the record books after just his first start in the Great American Race.
He has become the highest finishing African American driver in the Daytona 500. The previous mark was set over 50 years ago by Wendell Scott in 1966.
Bubba Wallace made the trip to the media center. Almost as soon as he sat down, his mom arrived and approached the bench. Simultaneously, they broke into both laughter and tears of joy.
“It’s a sensitive subject,” Bubba Wallace said in tears at the Daytona Media Center. “I’m just so emotional over where my family’s been over the last two years. That I don’t talk about it. But, it’s just so hard.”
“So, having them here to support me is,” Bubba Wallace struggled to fight back tears and complete the sentence.
“Pull it together Bub. You just finished 2nd, that’s awesome.”
“I just try so hard to be successful at everything I do. My family pushes me each and every day and they might not even know it. I just want to make them proud. 2nd is horrible but it’s still a good day. I just love my family and having everybody here.”
“We battled through a lot of adversity there. I wish I could say I brought the car home in one piece.”
“We were fast all week. I think there was a lot of talk in the garage about how fast our car was at pushing. I think that gave me a lot of respect out there.”
“Believing in me for those four races last year. You know, I just tried to go out and not be a hero, like the King told me right before climbing in. And I didn’t try to be a hero tonight and we’re sitting here 2nd.”
As Bubba Wallace finished 2nd, Austin Dillon went to victory lane. It’s been 20 years since the #3 car went to victory lane at Daytona.
On the way home from Daytona, Bubba Wallace stopped by DEI. “It just felt right to stop by DEI on the way home.”
Bubba Wallace after finishing 2nd in the Daytona 500
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