Talk about pressure.
Bubba Wallace entered Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway as one of only four points-eligible drivers who hadn’t recorded a top 10 finish this year.
However, Wallace’s tough luck in 2021 changed drastically, as he came in a stellar fifth place.
The top-five finish was his fourth of his career, and his first with 23XI Racing Team. Needless to say, he garnered the eye of a ton of people.
One of those people?
No other than the GOAT, and his boss, Michael Jordan.
According to Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern, Jordan sent Wallace quite the inspirational text after the solid finish:
.@BubbaWallace said Michael Jordan and 23XI investor Curtis Polk were "ecstatic and pumped up" after the team's first Top 5 finish yesterday, and that Jordan sent him "a very nice text, and now he expects a Top 10 every week, so now we have to put our foot down and keep digging." pic.twitter.com/k92UZSzZuf
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) June 28, 2021
How about that?
When you’re receiving a hype message from arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, you know you’re doing something right.
However, those are some huge expectations though. A top 10 every week? I guess we’ll see if Wallace will be up for the challenge.
He’ll be driving a Dr. Pepper car with his own face on it this weekend so I’m not sure if that’s a Top 10 paint scheme, but we’ll find out come Sunday at Road America in Elkhart, Wisconsin.
Introducing the winning Dr Pepper x @23xiracing car design. All we have to
say is: “why not.” Tune in July 4th to see @bubbawallace take it for a win. pic.twitter.com/hr4QYhGK9H— Dr Pepper (@drpepper) June 29, 2021