Looks like the Force is with Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 car as the NASCAR season hits the home stretch.
In an epic collaboration with major Wallace sponsor Columbia, his high-speed stock car and headgear got a little aesthetic boost, courtesy of Lucasfilm senior vice president Doug Chiang. He’s had a huge hand in many Star Wars live-action adventures from movies to TV, and certainly nailed this latest creative project.
To top off everyone who got to witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational revamped car, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader actor Hayden Christensen got in the cockpit and went along for a ride around the track.
don’t underestimate the power of the dark side
Columbia embraces Darth Vader with a new paint scheme for driver Bubba Wallace in the NASCAR Cup Series Championshiphttps://t.co/bBtyyvJ1KE pic.twitter.com/yXqzVyxZ0s
— Star Wars (@starwars) October 31, 2024
Based on the tone of this official news release, it’s reasonable to think Wallace will ride with this design on his car at least for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship, if not this week’s for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. You can get a better look at the Vader-inspired helmet Wallace will wear, along with several other images of the marvelous-looking No. 23 itself. Here are a few other still frames.
Star Wars paint scheme for NASCAR, designed by Doug Chiang and presented by Hayden Christensen pic.twitter.com/0xX8kTrHLC
— Star Wars Holocron (@sw_holocron) October 31, 2024
NEWS: NASCAR and Columbia have unveiled a new Darth Vader-themed car, driven by Bubba Wallace and designed by Doug Chiang! 🏁 https://t.co/K1j5i3Z5l5 pic.twitter.com/RmTZCExBCA
— The Star Wars Underworld (@TheSWU) October 31, 2024
Wallace has fully embraced the Star Wars-centric collaborations in the past, even tweeting on May the 4th about how he enjoyed rocking a Rebel Alliance jumpsuit and other gear from last year.
May the 4th be with you👊🏾
Still thinking about this sweet @Columbia1938 x @starwars scheme from last year🔥. Y’all wanna see a sequel?😏 pic.twitter.com/JRYhbrAFiA
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) May 4, 2024
Anything Star Wars-related that goes into the pop culture zeitgeist, I’m pretty much all for. As much of a sports person as I am, I’m arguably nerdier about the galaxy far, far away. So let’s celebrate Hayden Christensen for a second.
For all the grief Christensen caught from the prequel trilogy, he’s remained dedicated to going to conventions over the years, and he’s enjoying a massive rebound in popularity thanks to his recent appearances in Disney+ series like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka. It’s awesome that he’s down for pretty much anything Star Wars-related despite how alienating and off-putting his introduction to the franchise had to be. he got an enthusiastic reception at 2023’s Star Wars Celebration to say the least, even nearly moved to tears by it.
To kind of tie all this together, Wallace has spoken about how quitting social media has been a huge lift to his mental health. The prequel trilogy came out before social media really took off. Otherwise I can only imagine the vitriol that’d be directed at Christensen for reasons that, honestly, have very little to do with him and more to do with the execution of the three movies.
The ensuing years have been kind to the prequels, whereas upon their initial release, Star Wars creator George Lucas was ridiculed for allegedly ruining childhoods. That had to be some of the reason why he sold the rights to Star Wars to Disney in the first place. Now, Star Wars is going through the wringer again, with widespread criticism and allegations Disney is ruining it, breaking canon, and so on.
Saying all that to say, it’s nice to see some positivity on social media regarding Star Wars and Christensen. The collaboration with NASCAR and Bubba Wallace’s team is bringing together two massive brands with millions of fans for a wholesome alliance that so many people can find joy in.
