Bubba Wallace has attributed some of his recent solid performances on the track to stepping away from social media and avoiding “toxic comments” from NASCAR fans.
The polarizing driver claims he unplugged following the Highpoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway in July.
“It’s been so nice,” Wallace told reporters of his exile from social media last week. “Just being caught up in other people’s lives, and just start comparing, like, ‘Man, I want…’ it’s just, aside from the toxic comments, social media is just a lot at times.”
“I do miss the photography side of it, you know, posting all of that stuff,” he added. “But it’s just way better for the mental.”
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Bubba Wallace A Better Driver Without Social Media
News of Bubba Wallace quitting or at least stepping back from social media is welcome. He was heavily engrossed in it in 2020 when he adamantly promoted allegations that a “noose” had been placed in his garage.
While Wallace didn’t report the alleged hate crime himself, he certainly played up reports that he had been the victim of a hate crime.
The FBI investigated the incident and determined it was actually a garage door pulldown that had been there since 2019 and that there was no hate crime.
The social media frenzy that story set off was, as Bubba might say, ‘toxic’.
Wallace has been public with his bouts of depression and anxiety, according to the Associated Press. And other drivers throughout the course of his career have noticed his propensity to dwell on things.
Sports Illustrated described it as “doom scrolling through his feed on X” while Wallace admits to “reading the comments” something anybody who has a public spotlight would be well advised to avoid.
At least on the doom scrolling part, we can relate.
Bubba Wallace said since Pocono in July, he has pretty much avoided social media. pic.twitter.com/C7WwOWrVpR
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 23, 2024
RELATED: Dale Earnhardt Talks Bubba Wallace Fine, Mental State: He ‘Definitely Does Dwell On Things’
Been Miserable At The Track For Years
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has spoken on the driver of the #23 car’s inability to let go of things and move forward.
“Bubba has shared with us here in this room and everyone else his challenges with his emotions and his mental state of mind,” Earnhardt said. “I appreciate being open about that. We all probably have more mental challenges and battles going on than we like to admit.”
“But he’s been open about that, and it seems like Bubba definitely does dwell on certain instances like this and maybe makes it a bit larger in his own mind than it is to the rest of us.”
Not reading comments on X certainly helps you avoid dwelling on the negative.
Since pulling back from social media after Pocono, Bubba has seen finishes of fifth, fourth, and was a threat at Michigan International Speedway until a multicar crash hampered his efforts.
He grabbed his third top 10 out of the past four races in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona this past weekend.
Prior to his departure from social media, Bubba Wallace admitted to feeling “miserable” at the track for years due to personal and professional struggles.
“It’s a pressure-cooker being at the Cup level. And the last four years I’ve been miserable just trying to walk around like everything’s OK,” he told Fox Sports.
Wallace added that he “need(s) to apologize to a lot of people” for being “frustrated and trying way too hard and not focused on the right things.”
He’s a better driver when he’s focused on those ‘right things’.
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