Wallace overcame questions and doubts to end 3-year drought

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bubba Wallace spent three long years questioning everything about his racing world. During a 100-race winless streak, he saw teammate Tyler Reddick win five times and post three top 10 finishes in NASCAR's final standings. Wallace also watched team co-owner Denny Hamlin make regular trips to victory lane while still chasing his elusive Cup title. The drought forced Wallace to contemplate what was wrong and whether he'd continue to be employed in racing — until he realized there was more to life than racing. Sunday's life-changing Brickyard 400 title only reinforced that notion. "When Amanda and I first started dating, I was like 'Hey, racing everything, right?' I knew I made a mistake saying that," Wallace said, referring to his wife Sunday night. "It took me all these years to realize this isn't always going to be here. So I think it's better to enjoy moments like this, but nothing can overcome the joyful times you have with your family." Those aren't just empty words, either. After celebrating with his crew, a jubilant Wallace hugged his wife and hoisted their 10-month-old son over his head, an image that may far outlive Wallace's reign as champion. His second family, other Cup drivers, also embraced Wallace following the biggest victory of his career. By becoming the first Black driver to win a major race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's historic 2.5-mile oval, Wallace also locked up his second playoff appearance. But long before Sunday, there were indications Wallace was turning things around. After posting just six top five finishes and 12 top 10s in his first five Cup seasons, Wallace broke through with five top fives and 10 top 10s in 2022 and 2023. Last year, he had career bests of six top fives and 14 top 10s. And he won one pole in each of those three seasons, too. He also won two qualifying races leading up to this year's Daytona 500, though those wins don't count in the Cup's official stats. Midway through last season, though, Hamlin noticed a change in Wallace. "When I hired Bubba, I believed in his capability, not necessarily the results he had shown, but I understood his potential. And then there was a time where we were kind of wrestling with 'Do I want it worse than him? I can't make him want it,'" Hamlin said. "It just seems like something happened mid last year — maybe related to having a child or whatever — but something happened where I saw a change in attitude that changed work for him." It was a new perspective on life. Suddenly, Wallace had more to think about than just racing and it freed him up to alleviate some of the pressure he put on himself and the brutal self critiques. "I'm a guy with a beautiful wife, a beautiful son and putting family first, that's all that matters and just fortunate enough to be driving race cars," he said. "That makes things easier, gives you something to kind of focus on, the racing stuff is kind of secondary now and you have to have a mental shift to say that." But the philosophical change was only part of the equation. Crew chief Charles Denike, whose nine years in the U.S. Army showed him how to cope with pressure, added a calming influence on the radio. Wallace also started reading "The Daily Stoic," a resource with exercises to help people cultivate wisdom and resilience. Fatherhood changed things, too. "I've got the family here," he said. "Beck's win, officially his first race, and see his dad do it — get to victory lane — that brings me a lot of joy. Amanda's here, we lost our grandmother Friday night, so it's just kind of been a special weekend for us. Our family's here in Indiana, so this is really cool to be able to do." Of course, Wallace still gets frustrated as he did Saturday when he missed capturing the Brickyard pole by a whisker in qualifying. But he managed to strike a balance between the disgust that used to seep in and the positivity of what he nearly accomplished. And it made a difference on the track Sunday and potentially off of it in the near future. "There's a certain level of expectation to win and so, not doing that for almost three years, you really start to doubt yourself and wonder 'Is this it after the contract's up? Is this it?'" he said. "I've still got a couple of years left, so hopefully this gives another year at least." ___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing