Bubba Wallace makes surprising admission about his recent fine

Mar 20, 2022; Hampton, Georgia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace during the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Bubba Wallace will have to pay a hefty fine for his actions following the recent Chicago Street Race, but he had a surprising take on the impact the incident has had on him.

Wallace received a $50,000 fine for retaliatory contact for slamming into race winner Alex Bowman during the cooldown lap at Chicago.

Bubba Wallace has been fined $50,000 for this post-race incident with Alex Bowman. pic.twitter.com/C9GP93C4zC

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Perhaps surprisingly, Wallace told reporters that the fine was a blessing in disguise, as it opened his eyes to the reality that he has been “miserable” at the track for years.

“The penalty was probably the best thing that’s happened to me,” Wallace said Saturday, via Dan Gelston of The Associated Press. “I’ve been miserable for years. … I’ve been walking around with a persona I’m not proud of.”

Wallace added that a recent talk with retired NASCAR icon Kevin Harvick helped open his eyes to the fact that he was not representing himself well on race days.

“I might not agree with the penalty but I’m smiling about it,” Wallace added. “He also told me a lot of powerful things. To show up and be the fun-loving guy that I am throughout the week. I think that has been one of the most important things told to me. People don’t see who I actually am on Sundays. That broke me.

“I always preach about being the same person on and off the racetrack. It’s a pressure-cooker being at the Cup level, right? And the last four years, I’ve been miserable just trying to walk around like everything’s OK.”

Some of Wallace’s comments over the last few years make it pretty clear that he is putting a lot of pressure on himself and not necessarily getting the results he wants. He has not won a Cup Series race in nearly two years and is trying to make up 45 points to try to get himself into the 16-driver playoff field.