Is Bubba Wallace Related to Rusty Wallace? Who are Bubba Wallace and Rusty Wallace?

Is Bubba Wallace Related to Rusty Wallace?

No, Bubba Wallace and Rusty Wallace are both famous NASCAR drivers, but they are not related. Bubba Wallace drives for 23XI Racing in the Cup Series, while Rusty Wallace is a retired driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer. Rusty won the Rookie of the Year in 1984 and the Cup Championship in 1989. Despite their shared last name, there is no family connection between them. They are connected only through their passion for racing.

Who is Bubba Wallace?

Bubba Wallace is a professional stock car racer who drives full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for 23XI Racing, in the No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE. He started his career in Toyota's development program, racing part-time for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series and full-time for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series.

Later, he moved to Ford's development program and raced full-time for Roush Fenway Racing in the Xfinity Series. He also raced part-time for Richard Petty Motorsports in the Cup Series, before becoming their full-time driver in the No. 43 car. Wallace has been the only full-time African American driver in NASCAR's top three series during his career.

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Bubba Wallace Family

Bubba Wallace was born in Mobile, Alabama, and grew up in Concord, North Carolina. He is the son of Darrell Wallace Sr., who owns an industrial cleaning company, and Desiree Wallace, a social worker and former track athlete at the University of Tennessee.

Bubba has an older sister named Brittany Gillispie, who gave him the nickname "Bubba" when he was born. He married Amanda Carter on December 31, 2022, after getting engaged on July 30, 2021. They are currently expecting a child.

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Bubba Wallace Career

Bubba Wallace started racing at nine years old in Bandolero and Legends cars and won 35 out of 48 races in the Bandolero Series in 2005. In 2010, he began competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East with Rev Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing, winning Rookie of the Year and several races. He continued to race for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2012, winning more events. In 2018, he returned to the K&N East Series for additional practice before a Cup Series race.

In 2012, Bubba Wallace made his Xfinity Series debut, finishing 9th at Iowa Speedway and later winning a pole at Dover. In 2014, he raced part-time for Joe Gibbs Racing but only managed a 7th place at Daytona. For 2015, he moved to Roush Fenway Racing, finishing 7th in points and just missing out on Rookie of the Year. In 2017, despite strong performances, his team was shut down due to sponsorship issues, leading him to drive for Biagi-DenBeste Racing.

In 2013, Bubba Wallace had a strong rookie season in the Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports, winning the Kroger 200 at Martinsville and finishing 8th in points. He continued to excel in 2014, winning multiple races, including the Mudsummer Classic and the season finale.

Wallace returned to the Truck Series in 2017, winning a race but faced a penalty for illegal modifications. He raced again in 2018, 2019, and 2021, filling in for various teams and achieving notable finishes.

In 2017, Bubba Wallace made his Cup Series debut with Richard Petty Motorsports, becoming the first African-American driver in the series since 2006. He became the full-time driver of the No. 43 car in 2018, earning notable finishes like a second place in the Daytona 500.

Wallace won his first Cup race at Talladega in 2021 and his second at Kansas in 2022. In 2023, he made the playoffs for the first time but did not win a race, and he faced a $50,000 fine in 2024 for a post-race altercation with Alex Bowman.

Who is Rusty Wallace?

Rusty Wallace is a retired NASCAR driver from America. He won the 1984 Cup Series Rookie of the Year award and the 1989 Cup Championship. He has been inducted into several Halls of Fame, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame (2013), the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2013), the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2014), and the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame (2010).

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Rusty Wallace Family

Rusty Wallace was born on August 14, 1956, in Arnold, Missouri, to Judy and Russell Wallace Sr. He has two racing brothers, Kenny and Mike. Rusty and his wife Patti have three children: Greg, Katie, and Stephen. Stephen raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and made his Cup Series debut in the 2011 Daytona 500, joining a notable group of family racers in NASCAR. Rusty's father, Russell Wallace Sr., passed away on October 30, 2011, at age 77.

Rusty Wallace Career

Before NASCAR, Rusty Wallace won local track championships and over 200 short track races in Florida. He was named USAC Stock Car Rookie of the Year in 1979 and finished second in the USAC championship in 1981. Wallace joined NASCAR full-time in 1984, earning Rookie of the Year honors and driving for various teams. He had a successful run with Blue Max Racing, winning several races, including his first NASCAR championship in 1989.

In 1991, Rusty Wallace joined Penske Racing and continued driving the No. 2 Miller Genuine Draft Pontiac, winning the 1991 IROC championship and several races over the next years. Despite major accidents in 1993, he had a standout season with ten wins but finished second in the standings. He retired from full-time NASCAR racing after 2005, with 55 career wins, the most short track wins in NASCAR history, and a legacy of significant crashes, particularly at restrictor plate tracks.

In 2015, Rusty Wallace tested a Stadium Super Truck but didn’t qualify for the main event at the X Games. He also competed in the Ferrari Finali Mondiali in 2016, finishing tenth overall. Wallace started a broadcasting career with ESPN and ABC in 2006, covering NASCAR and IndyCar races. After leaving ESPN in 2014, he joined Motor Racing Network in 2015. His racing team, Rusty Wallace Racing, briefly returned in 2012 but shut down again in 2013 due to sponsorship issues.