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“[Michael Jordan] Fire Him” – Bubba Wallace Left Fuming After Being Blamed for Nearly Taking Out His Own Photographer
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“[Michael Jordan] Fire Him” – Bubba Wallace Left Fuming After Being Blamed for Nearly Taking Out His Own Photographer
It’s no secret that Bubba Wallace has long been a target of manufactured hate from some of the community members, but this time around, things might have gone too far out of reach to even make sense. While Wallace would have perhaps reacted to such hate differently during the off-season and after last year’s result, this time around, the 23XI Racer pulled no punches against the few haters who had created a big deal out of a seemingly innocent incident.
What was meant to be a funny prank turned into quite a debate on X. With the Great American Race right just around the corner, the Daytona Speedweek up to this point has delivered action on all fronts. From Ryan Blaney’s frustrating wreck in the Cup Series to Gus Dean’s controversial ARCA win, many accusations are flying around due to the chaos that ensued. But the hate Bubba Wallace seemed to be getting for a light-hearted prank he played on his own photographer is what took the entire NASCAR community by surprise.
Bubba Wallace silences haters after playful prank with photographer goes ‘wrong’
The Bluegreen Vacations duel was far from eventful for Wallace, who finished a race filled with carnage in P24. With the starting order of the field set for the Daytona 500, the 23XI racer pulled into the pits to park his #23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry XSE. At this moment, Wallace’s photographer, Nico Banda, was right at the pit entry waiting to click photos when the 23XI driver decided to give him a friendly wake-up call.
Bubba’s certainly played it a little fast and loose with that left turn. The #23 pulled into the pits and gently swerved toward Banda, sending the photographer back a few steps out of fear of getting run over. While the distance between the #23 and Banda was far apart enough for comfort, some fans didn’t take too well to Wallace’s prank.
Soon enough, the video made its way to Wallace’s X feed, prompting the 23XI driver to give these haters a piece of his mind. Channeling his sarcastic wit, Wallace stated, “OMG buBbA AtTemPtEd tO kILl HiS oWn PhOTogRaPhER anddd!!!! ASsaUlTeD aNoThEr DrIveR!!! MJ Fire Himmm!!!!!”
With over 2.6k likes, the video posted on X gained the entire community’s attention, and while most fans were in support of Wallace for just pulling off a lighthearted joke, the haters wasted no time in pointing out that Wallace should be reprimanded for his actions.
This time around, Bubba Wallace dialed the heat right back up on his haters, silencing them with one of the funniest comebacks in recent memory. After all, does the legendary Michael Jordan have time to be bothered with something so minute? A majority of the community certainly wasn’t, commending Wallace for standing up to the unnecessary hate. But what exactly were the accusations thrown at Wallace?
A user stated, “If @KyleBusch did this, people would be screaming for him to be suspended.” Meanwhile, another was equally displeased with Wallace’s actions – “Goofing off with a camera guy.” Some even went as far as to paint Wallace as a villain for the same: “This dude is evil.”
On the other hand, Wallace’s photographer himself added a sarcastic take on the incident. “I guess my photos aren’t good enough because Bubba tried killing me today.” Unfortunately, the attacks at Wallace didn’t stop. A user continued to state, “What a clown” while others wanted the officials to step in – “@NASCAR you need to look at this. Action is needed.”
While a fan tried to be the voice of reason; “It’s his own photographer lol”, it seemed like the Wallace hate train had no end. Users continued to speculate; “Does that make it okay to do that?” Some even brought the matter to insiders, “Hey @bobpockrass any penalty or fine or anything? Others have been for much less.”
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A former Ferrari engineer has criticised the decision to bring in Lewis Hamilton and thinks the Brit’s presence will mean “a lot of potential for drama”.
At the age of 40, seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton will form a formidable driver partnership with Charles Leclerc. His big switch comes at the expense of Carlos Sainz, who has performed well for the Italian squad but who was axed so they had room for their blockbuster new signing.
But not everyone of a Ferrari persuasion is convinced that it will go well. Ernest Knoors, who spent many years as an engineer at Maranello, specialising in power units, worries that Hamilton’s presence could do more harm than good for a team that is finding its groove under Frederic Vasseur.
“A big name like Hamilton also brings a lot of politics and if politics within Ferrari are not managed well, then there is a lot of potential for drama,” he told Formule1.nl. “Hamilton has the tendency that if things do not work out, he turns his whole car upside down and starts experimenting.
“Ferrari believes very much in the big personalities and will follow him. But Hamilton is just someone you have to guide a little bit and not give the freedom to rebuild the whole car, because then it will go completely wrong. So I do not know if it is such a smart move, but of course it is nice for the sport.”
News of Hamilton’s planned move broke on February 1, coinciding with football’s Transfer Deadline Day. That the back pages of many newspapers were dominated by the decision of Hamilton to swap Mercedes for Ferrari was testament to the magnitude of the announcement.
Sainz was not surprised as he had been informed by his team of the plan ahead of it being made public. But the Spaniard responded well with two victories to date this season and five further appearances on the podium, on the way to what looks likely to be a fifth-placed finish in the championship – two spots and 54 points ahead of Hamilton.
Sainz has signed for Williams next year and, after several years of running at the front of the grid, will focus on his new challenge of helping restore one of the grid’s most historic teams to its former glory. But Knoors believes he should have been kept on by Ferrari instead.
The Dutchman added: “I see Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari more as a PR move. With all due respect, Hamilton is not going to take that Ferrari from P6 to P1. He will get the most out of it, but what Ferrari has to do is make that car faster. And if you make that car faster, you can easily drive at the front with the current line-up.
“Besides, as a team you have to look further on the horizon. If Hamilton becomes champion in the coming years, he and Ferrari will become immortal. But if you want to build a team with talent for the next five years, are you going to build on Hamilton? No, because he will really be finished after two or three years. That is why I would have kept the very strong line-up that Ferrari has now.”
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Chase Elliott had a front-row seat for one of NASCAR’s most bizarre moments of the 2024 Cup Series season. At the start of Stage 2, the pace car dove onto pit road in front of Elliott; however, it was a tad too late. The pace car made contact with the sand barrels at the entry of pit road and caused a red flag for cleanup.
Initially, there was some speculation on the NBC Sports broadcast, even from the No. 9 team, that Elliott made contact with the pace car. Fortunately, the pace car didn’t slide across the No. 9 car’s nose, but it undoubtedly provided one of NASCAR’s craziest red flag moments in recent memory.
Below, you can listen to Elliott and the No. 9 team react to the pace car crashing into the sand barrels on pit road at Phoenix during Championship Weekend!
Reflecting on the recent retirement of 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., Earnhardt didn’t mince words about the toll NASCAR takes on its drivers. Speaking candidly, the two-time Daytona 500 winner admitted that the pressure to perform every week left him feeling miserable for most of his racing career—a sentiment he believes is shared by many of his peers.
“Right or wrong, racing made me a miserable person 90% of the time,” Earnhardt confessed. “And him too. I mean, ask Kyle Busch, ask anybody—unless you’re winning, you’re not happy.”
For these elite drivers, the sport is a relentless grind. A podium finish might bring temporary relief, but anything short of victory is often a source of frustration. The immense effort poured into preparation and execution rarely feels like it pays off unless the checkered flag is theirs.
Earnhardt highlighted the mental toll of falling short, explaining how the relentless focus on winning can overshadow the joy of simply competing. Even a solid performance feels hollow compared to the euphoria of a win.
“Unless you’re winning, you’re not happy at all,” he said. “You’re okay with a good run, but for the most part, all the effort it takes just to run good—it doesn’t weigh out.”
For drivers, the stakes are sky-high every week. Sponsors, fans, and teams demand nothing less than excellence, leaving little room for error or personal satisfaction in anything less than a dominant performance.
Earnhardt also shared insights into his friendship with Martin Truex Jr., who recently announced his retirement. While the two often spend time hunting together during NASCAR’s off-season, Earnhardt noted that the stress of racing even creeps into their leisure activities.
“When I’m with him during hunting season, it’s always in the back of his mind,” Earnhardt said. “It’s that stressful part of the year when he’s as miserable as he’s going to be.”
Now, with Truex stepping away from the track, Earnhardt looks forward to seeing a lighter, happier version of his long-time friend. Without the weight of weekly competition hanging over him, Truex might finally be able to relax and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle he cherishes.
“It’ll be fun to see him loosen up,” Earnhardt added.
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