Getty Bubba Wallace signs autographs for race fans.
On paper, Bubba Wallace’s partnership with Keurig Dr. Pepper Inc. is about promoting the beverage company. In reality, it leans more toward supporting fans and those in need.
Wallace has spent a considerable amount of time during the NASCAR offseason handing out meals and presents during the holidays. He has also joined forces with Dr. Pepper in the past to deliver meals to fans before a race at Kansas Speedway.
The latest move for this partnership is focused more on awarding fans with limited-edition, autographed merchandise, but it still falls under the umbrella of giving back.
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Keep an eye out for Bubba Wallace driving the @drpepper No. 23 Toyota on Sunday.
“It goes back to the core values that we share,” Wallace told Heavy on May 11. “It’s all about giving back to the community. When you get to a certain level and certain platform — and Dr. Pepper’s platform is way bigger than my platform will ever be. For me to share a small spotlight of that and help with the initiatives is really cool.
“I actually ran into a family that we met two years ago, actually. They were hanging out at the track. Yeah, it took me a minute. They were, ‘Hey, you came to our house and passed out food,’ and I was like, ‘You’re exactly right. That’s right.’ So it was cool to see that and to keep that going.”
Wallace Gets Reminders About His ‘Blessed’ Life
GettyBubba Wallace prepares for a race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Wallace has an incredibly difficult job. He is one of 36 drivers competing full-time at the top level of NASCAR, and he has to perform at a high level on a consistent basis in order to keep his team and sponsors happy.
The pursuit of another win and a spot in the playoffs are the biggest goals on Wallace’s list, and it’s easy to get caught up in that constant battle. However, there are times when he needs to take a step back and realize that he has a great life. This becomes apparent when he is working in the community.
“I mean, there’s so many people that — you don’t realize that if you go on about your everyday life — you don’t realize how blessed you are versus other people,” Wallace said. “And when you get to the holiday season, that really comes to the forefront, and it’s like, ‘Oh, wow, there’s a lot of people that don’t have anything.’
“…Kids, they don’t have anything. So for us to provide meals or presents — and it’s a great time for Thanksgiving just because from the food and beverage aspect. Dr. Pepper is there, and it’s a no-brainer. It’s just super important, and it definitely is nice to have a humbling reset every once in a while.”
This Sponsor Support Highlights Wallace’s Journey
Since moving over to 23XI Racing at the start of the 2021 season, Wallace has worked with a stacked list of partners. Dr. Pepper was one of the earliest, as was McDonald’s. He has also joined forces with DoorDash, Leidos, and Root Insurance among others.
This lineup of partners highlights Wallace’s journey through the Cup Series. There were multiple seasons earlier in his career where the sponsors were harder to come by. He had some solid performances on the track, but he was not able to bring as many companies on board.
As Wallace has added new partners to the lineup, he has been able to better give back to the community. Companies have supported his values of helping others, and they have helped him take the initiatives to another level.
“It took a lot of years for us to kind of find our way during the sponsorship struggles,” Wallace said. “And to see where we’re at now is… I guess it makes that ‘You work hard and eventually the opportunities will come’ saying definitely come to light and come true. I’m just very appreciative and thankful.
“Oftentimes you forget, you slip up and do something and you kind of put your team and partners in bad spots. But you’ve got to remember like, ‘Hey, these deals are hard to come by.’ So, learning what it can take to make things successful both on and off the racetrack kind of helps that. Like, I go back to Dr. Pepper. Being there from day one is really, really cool.”