Bubba Wallace Reflects on Career Milestone Ahead of AdventHealth 400 at Kansas

In 2017, Bubba Wallace made his NASCARCup Series debut when he stepped into the No. 43 car for Richard Petty Motorsports at Pocono Raceway. It would be just a four race schedule for the young driver at the time who had already won multiple races at the Truck Series level.

Fast forward to 2026, and Bubba Wallace is set to make his 300th start in the Cup Series. He went from racing for The King, Richard Petty to racing for The GOAT, Michael Jordan. Kansas Speedway is a track Wallace has won at before, and he hopes to be in the mix again on Sunday afternoon.

Before the race weekend, Wallace spoke with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio about the milestone. It essentially marks 10 years of Cup Series racing for Wallace. From racing Legends cars at Charlotte Motor Speedway to winning the Brickyard 400 (and still racing Legends at CMS, too).

"I think about my first start, you know, at Pocono, and where we're at now, how much has changed," Wallace said on Sirius. "It's just a crazy, crazy roller coaster. And yeah, I think everything is supposed to happen for a reason, and yeah, I think it's supposed to shape up to be a good weekend. So, it's going to be a lot of fun."

Bubba Wallace also reflected on those Legends races and being at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the little tracks. Those are the days that developed him into the driver he is today.

"No, not at all. Not at all," Wallace said when asked if the Cup Series was always the goal. "It was cool, I remember racing on pole night, Legends and Bandoleros were there on pole night, and I thought it was cool just to be racing in front of a big crowd. Never thought like, Oh man I could be part of pole night some day if I keep continuing to drive hard and have success. It just so happened and I think I enjoy that more. Like, man it's cool going back to Charlotte, each and every time."

With how well Tyler Reddick has done already this season, the pressure is once again on the 23 team and Wallace to step up. Last year, they won the Brickyard 400 for 23XI Racing's only win of the season. If he were to win Sunday, it would be the organization's fifth win of 2026, thanks to Reddick's four.

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This story was originally published April 19, 2026 at 9:10 AM.