The NASCAR driver had an emotion moment before qualifying Bubba Wallace opened his full-time NASCAR Cup Series career with a 2nd place finish in the Daytona 500 last year. But, the team has most struggled ever since. Outside of that, he best finish is an 8th place run. That came at Texas Motor Speedway, 30+ races ago. For 2019, Bubba Wallace has a best finish of 17th which came at Martinsville Speedway. Wallace was signed at a full-time driver for Richard Petty Motorsports for 2018 and has returned again this season. It was a huge break for the 25-year-old driver as he previously struggled to land a ride due to a lack of funding. The pieces are in place to put him behind the wheel. The goal of any racing driver is to win and it’s hard to do that when you’re short of funding at the No. 43 operation. Bubba Wallace – NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace comments on despression “You try to be the best you can and sometimes it ain’t damn good enough,” Bubba Wallace said during a media availability ahead of qualifying. In a quiet tone Wallace said he was fighting, “depression and everything with it.” But, a race car is a high powered meditation device. “I’ll be damned,” Wallace said quietly as his eyes hid under his low hanging hat bill, “It all goes away when you get behind the wheel. It’s 16 years of driving. It helps. But it’s tough.” Bubba Wallace is in the best ride he’s ever been in. However, the team is also short on funding which can be frustrating for a driver. Last week at Talladega he noted that he was a realist and that the team realistically had, “Four shots to win.” Those four chances are at the four superspeedway races where the little times have a shot due to the rules package which creates pack racing. “I’m on the verge of breaking down. And I am what I am,” Wallace said ahead of Kansas qualifying on Friday. “It’s been a rough moment for a while. Just trying to do everything I can.” This moment ahead of qualifying came a few days after a string of emotional tweets. Wallace: Haven't been a good place for some time now, but rolling under the stands after the race and hearing everybodys shouts and support, was nice. Appreciate y'all — Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) May 7, 2019 Ha..with a laugh and smile like this every week you'd think there is no way one could mask so much negative and dark ?. Lonely dark roads ain't fun, keep on keeping on I guess. pic.twitter.com/uaXncfuOE5 — Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) May 7, 2019 Crazy how much music can make everything seem okay in the world. Nothing beats long lonely road trips. The louder and heavier…the better for me☺️?? — Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) April 5, 2019 Kansas Qualifying Bubba Wallace But, it went upward from there. The quotes above came just ahead of qualifying at Kansas Speedway. In the new qualifying format, the field is divided into two groups based on qualifying from the week prior. Drivers then draw at random to determine their order with each group. After 19 cars had turned a lap in group 1, Bubba Wallace was quickest overall. “That’s good for us. You kinda sorta get a gauge of where you’re going to run. Then hell, you surprise yourself sometimes,” Wallace told FOX Sports after his run. “It’s definitely a shot in the arm, that I need personally. And our team needed. Heck of an effort.” At the conclusion of group two, Bubba Wallace’s time hung on to hold inside the top-15. He’ll start from the 12th position. That’s his third best starting position in his MENCS career. The exceptions are a top-10 start at Daytona in 2018 and a 10th place start at Texas Motor Speedway just five races ago. Bubba Wallace in the NASCAR garage area More Kansas Starting Lineup Bubba Wallace says it’s the job of a NASCAR driver to cheat the system Wallace talks the struggles (2018) Bubba Wallace just wants to win (2018) After a 2nd place run in the Daytona 500, Bubba Wallace and his family were emotion in the media center Links Bubba Wallace | Richard Petty Motorsports | NASCAR | Kansas Speedway<doc-sep>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace acknowledged covering up depression "for many years" before breaking down in near tears during a media session ahead of Saturday night's race at Kansas Speedway. The 25-year-old Wallace has struggled throughout his second full season at NASCAR's top level, his best finish coming in 17th at Martinsville. The iconic No. 43 of Richard Petty Motorsports sits 28th in the standings, a long way from being in week-to-week contention. Wallace was talking about the challenges facing the team Friday when he said, "You try to be the best you can and sometimes it ain't damn good enough." He later admitted to experiencing "depression and everything with it," and that he has kept it hidden in part by getting behind the wheel. At that point, Wallace said he was "on the verge of breaking down" and buried his face in his hands.<doc-sep>NASCAR driver Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. tweeted earlier this week that he hasn’t “been a good place for some time now.” And on Friday at Kansas Speedway, he opened up about struggling with and hiding his depression “for many years”, the Associated Press reported. He was understandably emotional while bravely speaking about something so personal. In his second full-time NASCAR Cup Series season behind the wheel of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet, Wallace’s on-track issues have been out in the open. He had one top-5 finish — at the Daytona 500 – and three top 10s in 2018, and this season, his best finish was 17th at Martinsville Speedway in March. He acknowledged he’s his own worst critic. While addressing some of his recent social media posts ahead of Saturday night’s Digital Ally 400 at the 1.5-mile track, he said: “It’s been a rough moment for a while. … I’m just trying to do everything I can.” Haven't been a good place for some time now, but rolling under the stands after the race and hearing everybodys shouts and support, was nice. Appreciate y'all — Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) May 7, 2019 Ha..with a laugh and smile like this every week you'd think there is no way one could mask so much negative and dark 💩. Lonely dark roads ain't fun, keep on keeping on I guess. pic.twitter.com/uaXncfuOE5 — Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) May 7, 2019 The 25 year old is the only full-time African American driver at the sport’s highest level, and he’s become a fan favorite. He said driving helps him cope with depression, and the “fans and family help a lot.” More from the Associated Press: Wallace was talking about the challenges facing the team Friday when he said, “You try to be the best you can and sometimes it ain’t damn good enough.” He later admitted to experiencing “depression and everything with it,” and that he has kept it hidden in part by getting into a car. “I’ll be damned,” Wallace said quietly, his blue hat pulled low over his eyes, “It all goes away when you get behind the wheel. It’s 16 years of driving. It helps. But it’s tough.” It was at that point Wallace said, “I’m on the verge of breaking down. And I am what I am.” He then quietly buried his face in his hands and wept. Going into Saturday’s race, the 12th of the 2019 season, Wallace is 29th in the driver standings and still looking for his first Cup Series win. Crazy how much music can make everything seem okay in the world. Nothing beats long lonely road trips. The louder and heavier…the better for me☺️🤘🏽 — Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) April 5, 2019 More and more, athletes are sharing their own stories about their mental health, including swimmer Michael Phelps, Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander, figure skater Ashley Wagner and New York Islanders goalie Robin Lehner. Through their own experiences, they’re raising awareness while also trying to destigmatize the challenges that many people face. Cleveland Cavaliers’ forward Kevin Love has been vocal about depression, and he has been one of the most vocal advocates for mental health awareness recently, saying: “Nothing haunts us like the things we don’t say.”<doc-sep>
Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Kan. — NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace acknowledged going through some tough times, on and off the track, before breaking down in tears ahead of Saturday night’s race at Kansas Speedway. The 25-year-old Wallace has struggled through his second full season at NASCAR’s top level, his best finish coming in 17th at Martinsville. The iconic No. 43 of Richard Petty Motorsports sits 28th in the standings, a long way from being in week-to-week contention. Wallace was talking about the challenges facing the team Friday when he said, “You try to be the best you can and sometimes it ain’t damn good enough.” He later admitted to going through “depression and everything with it,” and that he has dealt with the turmoil in part by getting into his car. “I’ll be damned,” Wallace said quietly, his blue hat pulled low over his eyes, “It all goes away when you get behind the wheel. It’s 16 years of driving. It helps. But it’s tough.” It was at that point, between practice and qualifying sessions, that Wallace said, “I’m on the verge of breaking down. And I am what I am.” He then quietly buried his face in his hands. “It’s been a rough moment for a while,” said the usually upbeat Wallace, an Alabama native and the only black driver in NASCAR’s top level. “Just trying to do everything I can.” Wallace is known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, one of the reasons he has become a favorite among many fans. Tears also flowed after he finished second in last year’s Daytona 500, which remains his only top-five finish in 51 career Cup Series starts. There have been signs for a while that Wallace had been struggling beyond the track, though the results surely haven’t helped. Normally a beacon of joy on social media, Wallace posted in a pair of tweets earlier this week that he hasn’t “been in a good place for some time now.” Accompanying a montage showing Wallace joking, he tweeted: “Ha. With a laugh and smile like this every week you’d think there is no way one could mask so much negative and dark (poop). Lonely dark roads ain’t fun, keep on keeping on I guess.” Opinion:Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr. see bigger picture beyond NASCAR rivalry More:Kyle Busch dodges fine for criticizing NASCAR rules package after Dover race Wallace did acknowledge Friday walking through the stands after Monday’s race at Dover and hearing people shouting support. He said that was an uplifting moment following a difficult weekend. “They were just shouting my name,” Wallace said. “A frustrating weekend, but going through the stands, it was nice. It was nice to see all the support and love.”