“Friendships kind of get lost”: Bubba Wallace gets real about NASCAR’s “masculine and competitive” nature

Bubba Wallace recently opened up about how the nature of NASCAR affects personal relationships. His remarks came in the aftermath of his Brickyard 400 win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a career-defining win that ended a long win drought. While speaking to media and fans, Wallace shared not only about the win but also about the emotional and social toll the sport takes.

Does NASCAR’s “masculine and competitive” environment really cause friendships to get lost? According to Bubba Wallace, it does. But he also makes it clear that certain bonds, like the one he shares with Ryan Blaney, manage to survive and even thrive despite it all.

Bubba Wallace has known Ryan Blaney since childhood. They started racing together at age nine, and although their professional paths occasionally diverged, they reunited in the Truck Series and eventually in the Cup Series.

Now both competing at the highest level of NASCAR, Wallace and Blaney remain close, living just ten minutes apart and often supporting each other through wins and losses. Wallace spoke candidly about how rare this kind of friendship is in motorsports.

“In such a masculine and competitive sport, friendships kind of get lost,” Wallace said. (via NASCAR)

He added that while many relationships fade due to the pressures of racing, his history with Blaney helped preserve their bond.

Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 U.S. Air Force Toyota, (L) and Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Atlas Ford- Source: Getty

“We see each other all the time. He’s there for me and I’m there for him.”

Even as Blaney racked up 14 Cup Series wins and a championship in 2023, Wallace didn’t feel envy, only pride. Wallace shared,

"You watch him and all the success that he has here... I can easily get jealous and not want to be a part of it, but it’s cool as hell to see us all where we came from,"

He also pointed to their early years as motivation. Adding,

“I do look back on the days when we were kids and I used to kick his ass. It’s like, you did it then. Why can’t you do it now?”

Both drivers are now entering fatherhood; Wallace has a son named Becks, born in September 2024, and Blaney is expecting his first child soon. Bubba Wallace hopes their sons will grow up sharing a bond just like theirs.

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Bubba Wallace Makes History With Brickyard 400 Win, Secures Playoff Spot

The 2025 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was no ordinary win for Bubba Wallace. The race went into double overtime, included an 18-minute rain delay, and was ultimately decided by just 0.222 seconds.

Wallace held his line through tight restarts, managed fuel issues, and clinched a crown jewel victory, the first of his Cup Series career. The win made him the first Black driver to win at the iconic 2.5-mile oval, a place rich in racing history.

It also was his return to Victory Lane after more than 100 races and secured his team, 23XI Racing, a spot in the playoffs. The team, co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and driver Denny Hamlin, had high expectations this season, and Wallace delivered when it mattered. Speaking to the media afterward, Wallace shared the emotional weight of the moment. Quoted by The Columbus Dispatch, he said,

“We’re in the playoffs, we’ve done it, we’ve won after I’ve told myself so many times, I’ve questioned myself, can I do this again? All that was gone in that moment.”

Bubba Wallace said the significance of being the first African-American driver to win at Indy hit him hours later. He added,

“I didn’t realize the African American side until hours later and it’s still incredible. I think what gets lost in translation though and a lot of people get offended and try to downplay it. I get it, right? I am biracial and I love both sides of who I am.”

After the race, Wallace celebrated with his family, including his infant son. He ended the celebration by kissing the bricks, an Indianapolis tradition.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua