Getty Bubba Wallace continues to make strides on the track.
The No. 23 Toyota Camry TRD will have a bright new look for the Cup Series race at Road America on July 3 (3 p.m. ET, USA). Bubba Wallace has joined forces with Columbia Sportwear to unveil the Fish Flag scheme.
The No. 23 entry of 23XI Racing will have a blue hood covered in stars and the PFG (Professional Fishing Gear) logo. The stars also extend to the roof of the stock car. The sides and rear, however, will feature a white base. Dozens of fish will form the red stripes of the American flag as they run down the side of the Cup Series car.
Fireworks came early for July 4! 🇺🇸
@Columbia1938 did it again with a PFG Fish Flag scheme for @bubbawallace at @roadamerica 🔥
Wallace will first put the scheme on display on Saturday, July 2. He and his fellow Cup Series drivers will practice and qualify at 11:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. ET (USA). According to NASCAR’s previously announced format, they will practice for 20 minutes on the four-mile road course.
Qualifying will shake out over two rounds. The first will feature two groups of drivers taking part in 15-minute timed sessions. The five fastest from each group will move on. The final round of qualifying will be a 10-minute session to determine the pole winner and the first five rows.
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Wallace Will Make His Second Start of 2022 With Columbia
GettyBubba Wallace will work with Columbia once again.
The race at Road America will be the second of the 2022 season featuring Columbia as Wallace’s primary partner. He also worked with the company during the April 17 race at Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt track.
Wallace has spent three seasons working with Columbia Sportswear. His deal has featured primary sponsorship in seven previous races dating back to his 2020 campaign with Richard Petty Motorsports. This deal also included the Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2021.
Wallace and Columbia have joined forces at Dover Motor Speedway (2020), the Charlotte Roval (2020), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2021), Daytona International Speedway (2021), Texas Motor Speedway (2021), and Bristol Motor Speedway (2022). His best performance was a runner-up in the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 behind Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney.
Wallace’s Previous Qualifying Session at Road America Featured an Issue
The last time that Wallace headed to Road America, he was fresh off a fifth-place finish at Pocono Raceway. His goal was to turn in a better performance at the road course while debuting a Dr. Pepper scheme, but the weekend started with an issue.
Wallace’s qualifying session came to an early end during the 2021 iteration. He was out on his lap when his car began to slow. He pulled off onto the grass next to the track before receiving a tow back to the garage.
The 23XI Racing crew determined that the transmission was the culprit, so they changed it out before the Cup Series race. This work meant that Wallace had to drop to the rear of the field alongside multiple other entries that required backup cars or mechanical work. He ultimately finished 24th.
Wallace will now have another opportunity to contend at Road America. He will also strive to finish his first road course race of 2022 after mechanical issues derailed trips to Circuit of the Americas and Sonoma Raceway.
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Bubba Wallace Debuting Bold, New Scheme at Road America