Bubba Wallace is heading to Talladega Superspeedway with a paint scheme that’s already getting NASCAR fans talking, and the conversation has little to do with racing.
The 23XI Racing driver’s No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE will feature Kroger Health and Novavax branding for Sunday’s YellaWood 500, putting a COVID-19 vaccine advertisement front and center at one of NASCAR’s biggest races.
The design surfaced Wednesday, Oct. 21, and quickly caught attention online, with fans weighing in on the unexpected sponsorship.
And given the subject matter, some couldn’t resist wondering what the reaction would be if Wallace drove the car into Victory Lane.
Bubba Wallace’s New Talladega Paint Scheme Draws Reactions
NASCAR reporter Joseph Srigley shared a preview of Wallace’s Talladega paint scheme Wednesday, revealing the Kroger Health and Novavax sponsorship.
The car features a predominantly white body, blue No. 23 and large Novavax branding across its side panels. The company’s COVID-19 vaccine messaging is also incorporated into the design.
The unusual sponsorship quickly became a talking point on X, where the paint scheme drew attention beyond the typical reactions to a new NASCAR car design.
NASCAR personality Dale Tanhardt shared Srigley’s post and joked about the prospect of Wallace winning Sunday’s race.
“This is actually the NASCAR Facebook Apocalypse. Imagine if he wins Talladega in this. I’m crying man,” he wrote.
The comment captured the kind of online reaction the sponsorship was generating. While NASCAR fans are accustomed to seeing everything from grocery stores to insurance companies advertised on race cars, a COVID-19 vaccine promotion is a less familiar sight.
The paint scheme also attracted attention on X’s trending page, putting Wallace’s Talladega entry in the spotlight days before the race.
Wallace Returns to the Site of His First NASCAR Cup Series Victory
For Wallace, Talladega is more than another stop on the schedule.
The Alabama superspeedway is where he earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory in October 2021, winning a rain-shortened race and becoming the first Black driver to win at NASCAR’s highest level since Wendell Scott in 1963.
Five years later, Wallace returns to the 2.66-mile track with a car that’s already drawing attention before the green flag.
And Talladega offers no shortage of opportunities for an unexpected outcome.
The track’s high-speed drafting packs can turn the running order upside down in seconds, with drivers moving from the middle of the field to the front in a matter of laps.
Wallace has already proven he can win there. Whether he can do it again Sunday remains to be seen.
The YellaWood 500 is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. ET, with television coverage on NBC.
For now, though, Wallace’s latest paint scheme has accomplished one thing before the race even begins: It has people talking.
Bubba Wallace’s COVID-19 Vaccine Car Stirs Reactions Ahead of Talladega