Bubba Wallace says reaction to his antics, middle finger drama is 'complete BS'

For the most part, Bubba Wallace has embraced his role as a controversial figure on the NASCAR circuit. He’s one of the drivers fans either love or hate. But that doesn’t mean every criticism he receives sits well.

In fact, Wallace is getting tired of receiving so many negative headlines. He believes so many things get blown out of proportion. In a recent interview, Wallace explained that he’s not doing anything new on the NASCAR circuit.

A lot of the stuff he gets criticized for has been going on for years, he said.

“People think that I love to stay in the headlines for different reasons and I actually hate it,” Wallace told SiriusXM Radio NASCAR. “The finger’s become such a big thing when Bubba Wallace does it. But you have guys that get wrecked and they walk on the track and shoot one bird or shoot the double-bird and we laugh about it and move on. We tell them that they’re No. 1. 

“But when Bubba Wallace does it we gotta shut the whole state down, shut the whole series down, kick him out, suspend him.

“So, on that side of things, it’s complete BS. But, it is what it is. It’s been going on for years and it sounds like I just invented something new. And we know how some of these people that are part of this sport hate when Bubba Wallace brings in something new.”

@BubbaWallace talks about his tendency for flipping the bird and why he plans to stop doing it. pic.twitter.com/Gtq1aR3t5w

— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) June 10, 2023

Bubba Wallace says he’s got to ‘stop’ flipping middle finger

Wallace has received a lot of criticism for some of his actions on the racetrack. But he’s correct in saying that it’s not really an uncommon occurrence in NASCAR.

Still, the driver acknowledged that it’s something he needs to get a handle on moving forward. Especially if he plans to stay out of the headlines.

“Oh 100% I need to stop doing it,” Wallace admitted. “It’s not a good look, right? And we all get that. But, what I’m getting at is, it’s been going on for years.”

Wallace finished the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma in 17th place. He currently sits 15th in the Cup Series driver standings with five finishes inside the top-10. He’s still searching for his first victory of the 2023 NASCAR regular season.

This weekend, Wallace and the rest of the Cup Series field head to Nashville Superspeedway for the Ally 400. The green flag waves at 7 p.m. ET with coverage coming from NBC.