NASCAR: Bubba Wallace hints at upcoming ‘big deal’
By Asher Fair
Bubba Wallace hinted at a potential upcoming “big deal” following his ninth place finish in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway.
Richard Petty Motorsports’ Bubba Wallace signed a two-year contract extension back in August of 2018 and is slated to become a free agent at the end of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Wallace has become the subject of quite a bit of Silly Season speculation, and as other dominoes around him continue to fall, he is still left without a confirmed ride for 2021, which has only heated up the rumor mill.
The 26-year-old Mobile, Alabama has been offered a contract extension with Richard Petty Motorsports which includes an ownership stake in the team, but he reportedly has other options available as well.
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One of those options is believed to be Chip Ganassi Racing, as the #42 Chevrolet does not have a confirmed driver for next year and already has several sponsorship deals in place. Among their primary sponsors is McDonald’s, which already serve as one of Wallace’s sponsors at Richard Petty Motorsports.
Wallace’s name has also been mentioned in regard to the seat at Hendrick Motorsports behind the wheel of the #48 Chevrolet, the car from which seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is set to depart at the end of the year.
Wallace finished in a solid ninth place in Saturday afternoon’s race at Michigan International Speedway to boost himself into a 19th place tie in the point standings, a huge improvement from his 28th place finishes in his first two seasons driving the #43 Chevrolet.
This was his fourth top 10 finish of the season, a new career-high. His average finish through the season’s first 21 races is a career-best 19.5.
After the race, which saw him run as high as second place in the closing laps, Wallace hinted that a “big deal” is on the line.
“Say a prayer for us. Everybody say a prayer for us,” he said, according to a Team Chevrolet press release. “There’s a big deal on the line right now and this could only help so much. I have yet to check my phone to see the status of it, but this will send us over the top if we can get it done.”
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Whether or not this “big deal” has anything to do with a 2021 ride remains to be seen, but given where Wallace is in terms of his contract status, that would not be surprising.