"I'm not getting it on my arm like it was": When Bubba Wallace hesitated on making Richard Petty’s autograph permanent

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Axalta presents the Pocono 400 - Practice - Source: Getty
Richard Petty speaks and Bubba Wallace Jr. at Pocono Raceway on June 9, 2017. Image: Getty

Bubba Wallace appeared to turn back on his word after he hesitated to get The King's signature tattoo on his forearm. Wallace, who was in his second NASCAR Cup Series season with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2019, did not want to cover his whole arm and later opted for a different option.

Ad

In June of that year, Petty autographed Wallace's left arm and the Alabama native jokingly tweeted that if the post received 43,000 retweets within a day, he would get his former team owner's signature tattooed. The tweet did beat the target number, but only after 24 hours. Wallace later revealed his full intentions and clarified that he would consider a smaller tattoo elsewhere on his body.

"I'm not getting it on my arm like it was, I'm not that stupid. It's a beautiful signature in all, but I'm not that heavily invested in having it take up my whole forearm. We'll get it somewhere small; I don't know where I'm going to get it," Bubba Wallace said (via NASCAR.com).
Ad
Ad

However, some fans took issue with him backing out but Bubba Wallace did keep his word and got inked later that year. In August, Ryan Blaney's tattoo artist, London Reese, tattooed Petty's signature on the back of Wallace's right thigh.

Richard Petty on not congratulating drivers after Bubba Wallace's 2025 Brickyard win

Bubba Wallace, who made his Cup debut in Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) No. 43 car, has collected three wins since 2017. But this July, he won his first big NASCAR Cup race, the Brickyard 400, and became the first Black driver to win on the iconic 2.5-mile oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Ad

Wallace also ended a 100-race winless streak and earned a playoff spot for the first time since 2023. However, Richard Petty did not see any of these as a reason to pat Wallace on the back. He stated that he does not congratulate drivers, including his own, because winning races is part of their job.

Petty answered a fan question on his Full Race Recap podcast and said:

"No, I never congratulate anybody, okay? You know, even my drivers and stuff. You put them out there, you expect them to win the race. That's what you put them out there for."

Wallace never won in the iconic No. 43 car. His first Cup win came at Talladega in 2021 after he had left RPM and joined his current team, 23XI Racing. After the rain-shortened YellaWood 500, Wallace became the first Black driver to win a Cup Series race since Wendell Scott in 1963. His second win was at Kansas Speedway in September of 2022.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

Quick Links

Edited by Tushar Bahl
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
Manage notifications