Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing, recently shared an interesting story in his Charlotte Motor Speedway Cook Out Summer Shootout vlog on YouTube. In the vlog, Wallace revealed a friendly qualifying pact he made with fellow racers Shane van Gisbergen and IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin.
Wallace explained that during week three of their competition, McLaughlin and van Gisbergen established a rule: the slowest driver among the three in qualifying would be responsible for buying lunch for all of them. Wallace recounted his own poor qualifying run that week, after which McLaughlin and van Gisbergen cheered, anticipating a free lunch. He said:
“Scotty and SVG came up with this rule on week three. I had a terrible qualifying run. And I get back in and they’re like cheering like, ‘Yeah, free lunch. Where are we going?’ I’m like, ‘What?’ So now that’s been the thing for the last 3 weeks. So whoever’s the slowest in qualifying has to pay for everybody’s lunch.”
Wallace further revealed the current standings in this pact: Shane van Gisbergen, based in New Zealand, leads with two slow qualifying runs, while Scott McLaughlin, from Mobile, Alabama, has had one slow run.
Regarding Wallace’s background, he debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2017 with Richard Petty Racing, initially competing in four events with three top-20 finishes. He then secured a full-time seat with the team for three years before moving to 23XI Racing in 2021. Since joining 23XI, Wallace has achieved two career wins, 25 top-five finishes, 52 top-ten finishes, and three pole positions in 273 starts.
Additionally, the article touches on Wallace’s candid reflections about the pressure he feels competing alongside his teammate Tyler Reddick during the 2025 season. On Kevin Harvick’s “Happy Hour” podcast, Wallace admitted to feeling the weight of expectations, especially seeing Reddick’s success. He emphasized that his motivation has pushed him to improve physically and mentally, stating:
“Seeing the success of the 45, not from a jealousy standpoint, but it’s like ‘I have the same stuff,’ and I feel like I’m just as competitive as Tyler. I put all that weight on me, that pressure on me. So, I’m back in the gym, and nobody’s telling me, ‘Hey, you need to work out to run better; you need to be in more meetings to understand better.’ I took that upon myself as, like, ‘I’m doing just enough to get by, and that’s not okay.”
In the 2025 season so far, Wallace has accumulated 428 points, ranking 13th in the Cup Series standings. He has six top-ten finishes, three top-five finishes, and six DNFs (Did Not Finish) in 18 starts. In contrast, Tyler Reddick holds 533 points, ranking 6th, with six top-ten finishes, four top-five finishes, and one pole position, without any DNFs.
The article was authored by Karan Yadav, a sports journalist with a focus on motorsports, who has experience covering NASCAR and follows top drivers like Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Ryan Blaney.
This detailed account covers all the information presented in the original Sportskeeda article about Bubba Wallace’s qualifying pact with Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin, his career highlights, and his reflections on the competitive pressures of the 2025 NASCAR season.
