KANSAS CITY, Kan. — NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace acknowledged going through some tough times, on and off the track, before breaking down in tears ahead of Saturday night’s Cup series race at Kansas Speedway.
The 25-year-old Wallace has struggled through his second full season at NASCAR’s top level, his best finish a 17th at Martinsville. The iconic No. 43 of Richard Petty Motorsports sits 28th in the standings, a long way from being in week-to-week contention.
Wallace was talking Friday about the challenges facing the team when he said, “You try to be the best you can, and sometimes it ain’t damn good enough.” He later said he has gone through “depression and everything with it” and that he has dealt with the turmoil in part by getting into his car.
“I’ll be damned,” Wallace said quietly, his blue hat pulled low over his eyes. “It all goes away when you get behind the wheel. It’s 16 years of driving. It helps. But it’s tough.”
It was at that point, between practice and qualifying sessions, that Wallace said, “I’m on the verge of breaking down. And I am what I am.” He then quietly buried his face in his hands.
“It’s been a rough moment for a while,” said the usually upbeat Wallace, an Alabama native and the only black driver in NASCAR’s top level. “Just trying to do everything I can.”
Wallace is known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, one of the reasons he has become a favorite among many fans. Tears also flowed after he finished second in last year’s Daytona 500, which remains his only top-5 finish in 51 career Cup series starts.
There have been signs for a while that Wallace has been struggling beyond the track, though the results surely haven’t helped. Normally a beacon of joy on social media, Wallace posted in a pair of tweets earlier this week that he hasn’t “been in a good place for some time now.”
Accompanying a montage showing Wallace joking, he tweeted: “Ha. With a laugh and smile like this every week you’d think there is no way one could mask so much negative and dark [poop emoji]. Lonely dark roads ain’t fun, keep on keeping on I guess.”
Wallace did acknowledge Friday walking through the stands after Monday’s race at Dover and hearing people shouting support. He said that was an uplifting moment following a difficult weekend.
“They were just shouting my name,” Wallace said. “A frustrating weekend, but going through the stands, it was nice. It was nice to see all the support and love.”