Bubba Wallace calls out NASCAR's star power problem, citing Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's global fame

Bubba Wallace is one driver in NASCAR who has never been hesitant or shy away from expressing his opinions. His latest comments strike at the heart of NASCAR’s ongoing challenge: global recognition. While NASCAR continues to thrive in the United States with a loyal fan base and packed race weekends, the sport still lags when it comes to international star power.

Wallace drew a comparison of the sport with Formula One, citing examples of F1 legends Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. He also explained that the sport's fan base and following are still limited to the United States. The sporting body has tried to expand its reach by conducting a Cup Series race in Mexico, which was the first time, after a long gap, that the Cup Series raced outside of the United States.

Bubba Wallace shared his opinion on NASCAR's popularity in an interview.

"We are very inside of our own four walls, and that’s it. I’m not sure about that, because you can take Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen and drop them anywhere in the world, and people go crazy, right? You drop me, Chase Elliott, or Ryan Blaney in London, and no one knows who we are. You drop us in New York City, and maybe we get one or two people," Bubba Wallace said, via the Athletic.

The point Wallace made was less about personal fame and more about the sport's broader cultural footprint. Formula One, fueled by worldwide TV deals, billionaire backers, and Netflix’s Drive to Survive, has transformed its drivers into household names.

NASCAR, by contrast, remains regional, as its stars are beloved in Daytona, Talladega, and Bristol, but the recognition rarely extends past U.S. borders or even past hardcore racing circles within the country.

Bubba Wallace names one driver who could possibly grow NASCAR's popularity by being the star power

Bubba Wallace has been vocal about NASCAR’s need to create bigger household names in order to gain more popularity like other sports. According to him, there’s one fellow driver who could carry that torch in today's time: Kyle Larson.

Wallace was recently asked about who he thinks could be the one athlete that people would want to tune in and watch him perform, to which he replied, via the aforementioned source:

"We have Kyle Larson. I think Larson is that person."

Wallace further added that it's still a tough task when he was asked a follow-up question.

"It’s tough because Larson is getting the dirt crowd to watch. But homeboy, homegirl at the Pilot over here across the street doesn’t know who Larson is. They’re not like, “I want to see how he’s going to do.” I could be wrong," Wallace said.

Wallace's words may serve as a wake-up call for a sport at a crossroads, one that needs to decide how it wants to be seen in the world beyond its “four walls.”