“Good job, kid. That’s a good start,” Michael Jordan had said earlier to Bubba Wallace this year. Bubba Wallace has spent years racing under the watchful eye of Michael Jordan, the NBA legend and co-owner of 23XI Racing. His passion for NASCAR goes way beyond just showing up. In a candid chat recently Wallace let slip just how deep Jordan’s love for the sport runs revealing that the six-time NBA champ texts him before every single race with a simple. It’s a small gesture, but it’s gone viral, showing Jordan’s hands-on commitment to his driver and team. That personal touch set the stage for a moment that’s got fans rethinking Bubba’s rough-edged reputation.
It is the small things that can hit you squarely in the heart at times. In NASCAR, with rivalries and speeds drawing all the attention, a moment of quiet decency seems like thunderclap. Bubba Wallace, a driver who knows the highs and lows of the sport, gave the world one such moment recently. Something that makes you remember there is a man wearing the helmet, not a front page.
Bubba became a model in front of a young fan girl’s camera
Before this, Bubba’s fan interactions have been a mixed bag. He’s clapped back hard like when he roasted a heckler at the NASCAR Clash earlier this year with, “I’m gonna guess more fingers than teeth on that cat,” after they flipped him off. Or when he’s shrugged off boos with a finger and a smirk. But this time was different.
The accident took place on qualification day March 22, 2025, when Bubba Wallace wrote the following on X: “After qualifying I was heading back to my hauler..a father approached me and ask if his daughter could get a pic, I said no problem.. waited for her to walk over but no. She pulls up her camera and snaps a photo OF me… this was bada–!! So I had to get a pic with her!” It wasn’t your typical fan meet-and-greet. Instead of standing in a standard pose, this small girl flipped things around, snapping a candid of Bubba like a professional. And Bubba? He loved it. He didn’t roll his eyes and brush it off. Instead, he took a photo with her, turning a passing moment into an image.
Well, this should come as no surprise as Wallace is a passionate photographer himself. His Instagram account, @bubbawallacephotography, has a wide range of photos captured using Sony A1, Leica MP and Leica Q3. These include snaps from his latest trip to New York during the offseason with his newborn son, Becks Hayden. So while Wallace might be a feisty character at times, his soft side clearly comes out when photography is involved.
After qualifying I was heading back to my hauler..a father approached me and ask if his daughter could get a pic, I said no problem.. waited for her to walk over but no. She pulls up her camera and snaps a photo OF me… this was bada–!! So I had to get a pic with her! pic.twitter.com/OEvIHYdlCR
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) March 22, 2025
It wasn’t about winning an argument or getting a score settled. It was about meeting a child where she was, in a playful, sincere way that felt spontaneous. And it’s not the first time that this side has emerged from him. At Atlanta, when he was addressing the fans there, an unusual fan made a bizarre request for him to sign his forehead which he did with a smile. However, this camera moment hit differently, maybe because it was so out of the blue, so pure.
Bubba’s been a polarizing figure in NASCAR for years. Being the only Black full-time Cup Series driver, he’s carried a weight that few can understand—breaking glass, withstanding boos, and weathering storms like the 2020 Talladega noose scandal that thrust him into a national conversation. On the track, he’s won his share, like that emotional Kansas victory in 2022, but he’s also had moments that didn’t sit well with the fans. Forget fingers held up to cameras or upset disputes with rivals like Kyle Larson.
Love him or hate him, Bubba’s never boring. He’s the fellow who can get you clapping one day and shaking your head the next. Now let’s move on to what fans are saying because that’s where this story really takes off.
Fans share their own Bubba Wallace story to show his softer side
Nathan Marlow, an aspiring NASCAR photographer, tweeted about Bubba’s impact: “You’re one of my main reasons why I started to pursue a career in photography in NASCAR. My first race in victory lane, just so happened to be your Kansas win, which made it so much more special to me.” It was the Hollywood Casino 400 on September 11, 2022, at Kansas Speedway. Bubba, driving the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing, took the checkered flag. It was his second career Cup Series win and a huge deal for a team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. That Kansas win wasn’t just a race, it was a spark for someone chasing a dream, and ambitious Nathan related to that.
Then there’s the Atlanta echo. A fan wrote, “You’re a good dude Bubba, you did the same thing for my boys at Atlanta!” It’s proof this isn’t a one-off. Bubba’s got a knack for these small, quiet wins that don’t make the highlight reels but stick with people. Someone else added, “He’s rough around the edges, but moments like this show who he really is.” It’s like fans are peeling back the layers, seeing a guy who’s more than the headlines. Someone who gets it, who remembers what it’s like to be a kid looking up to a hero.
Across the NASCAR community, the vibe’s shifting. One X user summed it up: “Respect where it’s due—Bubba’s earning it one fan at a time.” Another said, “I don’t always root for him, but this? This is why he’s still here.” It’s not a full-on redemption arc, Bubba’s still got his detractors, and he’s still got that fire but it’s a crack in the armor. A little girl with a camera flipped the script, and Bubba rolled with it. For once, it’s got the NASCAR world nodding in agreement: Bubba Wallace just did something worth cheering for.
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