Bubba Wallace has been quietly turning heads this season, not just with his on-track efforts but with a noticeable shift in his temperament. Statistically, he stands almost neck and neck with where he was nine races into last season — logging two top-5s and one top-10 compared to three top-5s and one top-10 last year.

However, what has drawn more chatter this time around is his composure behind the wheel — a change that both he and teammate Tyler Reddick attribute to fatherhood, following the birth of his son, Becks Hayden Wallace. Yet, Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t entirely sold on that narrative.

On a recent episode of his podcast, Junior offered a different angle. He noted that last year, Wallace’s strong runs were often track-specific — fans could bet the house on his pace at places like Kansas, Talladega, or Daytona. This year, however, the #23 driver appears to have found speed across the board.

While the results may not yet reflect that upswing, Dale Jr. pointed out that Wallace has, in fact, run circles around his own teammate, Tyler Reddick — who has been impressive.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. attributed Bubba Wallace’s improved form to the strategic moves made by 23XI Racing — specifically the addition of new crew chief Charles Denike. The veteran driver noted that sometimes it’s less about plugging in a more intelligent figure and more about injecting fresh energy into the team, the kind that reinvigorates a driver’s mindset and approach.

However, when asked whether fatherhood — specifically the birth of Wallace’s son — might have added fuel to the fire, Junior didn’t mince words. He pushed back on the sentiment.

“Yeah I don’t think that really matters, no! I don’t think it changes… Fatherhood slows you down. If anything becoming a father takes a lot of your risk assessment away. You start thinking about: Man! I don’t need to shoot for that gap. Fatherhood – becoming a father does not make you two tents quicker,” Dale Jr. said.

However, Tyler Reddick had credited Bubba Wallace’s recent upswing in form to the transformative impact of fatherhood, believing it has added clarity and composure to his teammate’s mindset.

“Fatherhood will change you in ways you don’t expect. I think he’s got a good approach right now and am excited to see how he continues to grow and change at being a dad and how that affects racing for him,” Reddick remarked, suggesting Wallace’s personal evolution is beginning to reflect on the racetrack.

In fact, Wallace himself acknowledged a shift in outlook, admitting that he now views life through a more optimistic lens. He emphasized that nothing outweighed his priorities of being a present father, a committed husband, and a grounded family man. Since the birth of his son, he confessed, a weight seems to have been lifted, easing the stress he once carried into competition.

Currently sitting at P8 in the standings with an average finish of 17.8, Wallace has kept himself well within striking distance. As the season unfolds, all eyes will be on whether this fresh perspective helps him punch his ticket to the playoffs — a feat he narrowly missed last year.