“Dad Bubba Wallace is a different Bubba”: 23XI driver’s spotter reveals the profound impact of fatherhood on his ‘mind space’

Freddie Kraft, spotter for Bubba Wallace, recently opened up about the difference in the driver's attitude this year as compared to previously since the 31-year-old became a father towards the end of last year. The 23XI racing driver and his wife, Amanda, welcomed their son Becks on September 29th, 2024.

When talking about how Wallace has handled himself in post-race interviews after low finishes in Phoenix and COTA, Kraft attributed his demeanour to settling into his role as a father:

“Dad bubba is a different Bubba. I think we saw that with [Kevin] Harvick, I think we see with a lot of guys - once you start having kids and you want them to see the right way to do things. So he's definitely a different guy this year, he's in a better mind space and hopefully it's showing on the racetrack. I think we're more consistent, he's doing a better job, so hopefully it continues all year and we just find the finishes that I think we've been deserving,” Freddie Kraft said [16:46 onwards].

Kraft talked about Wallace's shift on the 'Dirty Mo Media' podcast 'Door Bumper Clear', which recaps the world of NASCAR through the eyes of spotters, crew chiefs, and other members of the sport, which is hosted by Kraft, alongside Tommy Baldwin, a former crew chief and current competition director for Rick Ware Racing, as well as Karsyn Elledge, race car driver and niece of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

At last week's event at the Phoenix Raceway, Bubba Wallace qualified at 19th place, but finished the race in 29th. At COTA, Wallace was in the first row, starting the race in 2nd, however, he finished 20th.

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Bubba Wallace considers son as "Lucky Charm" after Duel win this year

Along with Freddie Kraft talking about Bubba Wallace's headspace shift since the arrival of his son, the driver himself considers his son as a lucky charm. Earlier this year, the #23 pilot secured his first victory this season at the Duel 1 at Daytona that took place before the Daytona 500. While standing on the podium, the driver raised his son in the fashion of the 'Lion King' and shared the video to his Instagram.

He also added text to the video that said:

"Lucky Charm 🦁"

After Bubba Wallace's impressive finish at the Duel, he began the Daytona 500 in third place, but crossed the finish line 29th. The 31-year-old has secured one Top-10 finish this season, which came after he crossed the finish line ninth after starting the race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in 14th place.

The next NASCAR Cup Series event is the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube, which will take place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 16th at 3:30 PM E.T.