Bubba Wallace has claimed that his first NASCAR Cup Series win since 2022 felt just like 'going out to win a late model race'.
The 23XI Racing driver's more laid-back attitude was on display at a number of points in the season just gone, not least in the time between his Brickyard 400 win and the start of the playoffs.
Wallace's season was one of his very best in the Cup Series, constantly running near the front of races, but was hampered somewhat by an excessive number of DNFs – the second most in the series, often due to no fault of his own.
The 32-year-old could even have been staring down the barrel of unemployment if things had gone differently in the court case between his 23XI team and NASCAR this month, with experts predicting that a loss in court would see the Michael Jordan-owned team go out of business within the year, but Wallace told Racer that he's been having fun with his new mindset.
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Bubba Wallace enjoying NASCAR racing again
Speaking on snapping a nearly three-year winless streak in Indianapolis, he said simply: "For me, it was just another win. It's cool to have the Brickyard 400 behind your name, for sure. But honestly, I felt like I was going out to win a late model race or something."
He added: "It's been a lot of fun to show up at the racetrack with a new mindset and having an opportunity to win just about every week is what you want. You keep throwing your name in the hat – I've always said it – they'll eventually pull it.
"It's been fun. It goes back to what I told Charles [Denike] when we met for the first time, 'Man, I want to have fun when we go to the racetrack', and we've been doing just that. So, I appreciate him."
Wallace's reaction to last week's settlement between 23XI, Front Row Motorsports and NASCAR was typically short and sweet. 'Monumental day', he posted online. He'll be looking for some more of those of his own soon enough.
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