Bubba Wallace shares advice he received from Kevin Harvick after being fined $50K by NASCAR

When Bubba Wallace found out he was being fined $50,000 by NASCAR for his actions after Chicago, he was at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It just so happened, Kevin Harvick was there, too, his son Keelan racing in the Summer Shootout, as well as Wallace.

It couldn’t have been better timing. Bubba Wallace was there at the track when he found out about his fate. It gave Harvick a time and place to sit down with the driver and try to help him with his advice.

Wallace talked to media at Pocono Raceway about his conversation with Harvick.

“I will say I got my media training from Kevin Harvick,” Wallace said, via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “So, at the race track, we were at the Shootout race, Legend Cars racing with him and Keelan. He’s like, ‘You ready to roll? Ready to go qualify?’ I said, ‘Nope not really, just got fined.’ He’s like, ‘Man, that sucks.’ He told me to show up with a smile on my face and accept it. So, here’s my smile. Might not agree with the penalty but I’m smiling about it. He also told me a lot of powerful things. Just show up and be the fun-loving guy that I am throughout the week.”

Bubba Wallace appears to have a new perspective on his career. If he sticks to it, it might be just what he needs to get going the right way again.

Bubba Wallace calls penalty the ‘best thing that’s happened’ to him

Bubba Wallace could dwell on this fine and let it get to him. But that doesn’t appear to be his response. Instead, he’s embracing it, moving on from it, and accepting that it happened. He doesn’t have to agree with it, but that’s what he has to do to move on.

Wallace believes it is the best thing to happen to him.

“Penalty was probably the best thing that’s happened to me,” Wallace said. “I’ve been miserable for years, walking around with a persona that I’m not proud of. I need to apologize to a lot of people, especially that are close to me. … Just frustrated and trying way too hard and not focused on the right things.”

This penalty isn’t a big deal. He didn’t lose points, he’s not suspended a week, he will live to fight another day. Now he has to focus on getting better.

 Did I time it wrong? Sure, 100%. His window net was down and his seat belts were off, not an ideal situation. You know, and it’s the guy you’re racing in the points, and then he goes on to win the race so it’s like icing on the cake, right? So, it’s just three or four slaps in the face when you’re working your ass off to be better for the team, just ripped away. Not that I’m justifying it at all but I’m a passionate guy, and I let my frustration get the best of me.”