Bubba Wallace Is Racing With “Angel and Devil” on His Shoulder

23XI Racing star driver Bubba Wallace has shared his thoughts on the pressure that was on his shoulders ahead of the Indy win.

Bubba Wallace Is Racing With “Angel and Devil” on His Shoulder

Bubba Wallace (Via IMAGO and @LeidosInc/X)

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23XI Racing secured their maiden win of the 2025 season, amidst the noise of the charter lawsuit, last Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Bubba Wallace produced a solid run, surviving double overtime duel against Kyle Larson in the dominant Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, ending his 100-race winless streak in the process.

The victory helped the No:23 Toyota driver the opportunity to finally reduce the massive pressure that has been on his shoulders. The outside noise wasn’t the only thing that has was weighting on him, his self-critic nature also played a significant role in it. In a latest interview Bubba Wallace explained how he was racing for many weeks with angel and devil on his shoulders, with negative pressure being the highlight.

I think that’s my biggest downfall. We’re all human, and we’re all super hard on ourselves. You guys know how hard I am on myself. At the same time, I was combatting, and I’m like, F****** right, we can do this. It was kind of like the angel and devil on your shoulder. It wasn’t all negative. But to even have that thought, it’s like, Man, come on, focus.

Bubba Wallace said via Motorsports.com.

Further talking about the point, Bubba Wallace pointed out that during the Indy restart moment, he was able to kill all that pressure and focus on securing the race win as he should, finally securing a positive mindset he was looking for a longtime. But he still has a lot to learn as a person and a driver, to thrive under the pressure.

That all went away on the restarts because it was time to really focus and get the job done. Yeah, just still working out those kinks and growing as a person. It’s just really cool to be sitting here in front of you guys, so I appreciate it.

Bubba Wallace added.

Bubba Wallace shares thoughts on his fans and haters

The 23XI Racing driver is one of the most divisive figures in the sport and that made his win much more special. In most of the race weeks he is welcomed with boos during the driver intros, but at Indy he was able to convert some of those into applause of some haters into 23XI fans.

Bubba Wallace's Brickyard 400 win (via AP)
Bubba Wallace’s Brickyard 400 win (via AP)

Talking about this dramatic dynamic he has with his team, Bubba Wallace pointed out that it funs have the supporting fans he has at the moment. He appreciates their backing, amidst the hate he gets from the rest, which he understands is part of being a professional athlete.

I like to have fun with fans. It is what it is, but I do really appreciate the support deep down. As a guy who used to struggle with the boos for sure, I’m just wondering why. Now I understand it’s just sports…

Bubba Wallace said.

He pointed out that the fans love certain drivers and hate a certain group, so they want the latter group to don’t perform in the race weeks. One highlight Wallace witnessed at Indy was the number of booing fans were lesser that what it used to be in the previous weeks.  

People are going to have the drivers they like, the drivers they hate, the driver they want to see win, the drivers they want to see crash, and we just go out and compete…I will say I didn’t hear any noise today before the race. That was different. That was cool.

Bubba Wallace added.

The victory has put the team in the playoffs and they no longer have to fight till the regular season finale at Daytona to get in the last-16 on points as he has been doing every year in the Next-Gen era. It would be interesting to see how the No:23 Toyota driver is going to perform with less pressure in the remaining four races before the post-season starts.

Also Read: Bubba Wallace Flexes Trophy Collection After Brickyard 400 Triumph