Bubba Wallace recently shared insights into his improved performance on the track and the unexpected role his retirement from social media played in it.
Wallace retired from social media platforms after the Pocono race, while also experiencing a noticeable improvement in his performance.
Over the past six weeks, Wallace has shown significant progress on the track, posting two top-10 and two top-5 finishes despite a disappointing DNF in New Hampshire.
Despite setbacks such as an accident in Michigan that dropped him to 26th place, Wallace has had a successful season so far. Speaking to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports ahead of the race weekend at Daytona International Speedway, Wallace revealed the mental relief that comes with staying offline.
“Oh, it was so nice, it was so nice. Just being immersed in other people’s lives and comparing to them. Man, I want to… Aside from the toxic comments, you know, social media is just too much sometimes. I miss the photography side of it, you know, posting all that stuff, but it’s just so much better for the psyche. YouTube is my best friend.”
Wallace made his decision after admitting that he was struggling with mental health issues and faced mixed reactions from the public.
Looking ahead, Wallace has crucial races ahead at Daytona and Darlington that will be crucial to securing a coveted playoff spot. With him just one point away from the playoff line, every race and every lap counts more than ever. In addition, his rivals Chris Buescher and Ross Chastain are hot on his heels.
NASCAR Cup Series: Current status
(At the time of writing, before the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway)
- Tyler Reddick – 814 points
- Chase Elliott – 804 points
- Kyle Larson – 782 points
- Ryan Blaney – 732 points
- William Byron – 728 points
- Denny Hamlin – 711 points
- Christopher Bell – 703 points
- Martin Truex Jr. – 682 points
- Brad Keselowski – 677 points
- Ty Gibbs – 644 points
- Alex Bowman – 627 points
- Chris Buescher – 621 points
- Ross Chastain – 606 points
- Bubba Wallace – 605 points
- Joey Logano – 561 points
- Daniel Suárez – 526 points
- Kyle Busch – 513 points
- Chase Briscoe – 491 points
- Austin Cindric – 460 points
- Todd Gilliland – 455 points
- Michael McDowell – 449 points
- Carson Hocevar – 441 points
- Josh Berry – 427 points
- Noah Gragson – 425 points
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 400 points
- Ryan Preece – 367 points
- Erik Jones – 361 points
- Justin Haley – 346 points
- Austin Dillon – 345 points
- Daniel Hemric – 337 points
- Corey LaJoie – 332 points
- John H. Nemechek – 321 points
- Zane Smith – 292 points
- Harrison Burton – 266 points
- Kaz Grala – 166 points
- Cody Ware – 65 points
- Joey Hand – 43 points
- Jimmie Johnson – 39 points
- Derek Kraus – 32 points
- David Ragan – 17 points
- Kamui Kobayashi – 8 points
- Will Brown – 6 points
- Cam Waters – 2 points