NASCAR spotter Freddie Kraft has opened up about the personal toll of the constant criticism directed at Bubba Wallace, admitting the backlash affects both of them. Kraft, who has worked with Wallace for 17 seasons, said he gets angry when people attack the 23XI Racing driver based on information they do not understand.
Speaking on Kenny Wallace’s Kenny Conversation, Kraft defended the person he has known since Wallace was 16 years old. He also addressed the criticism surrounding Wallace, including the controversy from the 2020 Talladega incident.
While Kraft said he usually ignores negative comments on social media, he struggles when people who have never met Wallace make strong claims about his character.
NASCAR Spotter Freddie Kraft Recalls How He Met Bubba Wallace
Kraft explained how his partnership with Wallace started after Andy Santerre contacted him about a spotting opportunity with a young driver.
“So Andy Santerre, he might be God as far as Northeast racing goes, called me and he’s like, ‘Hey, I got a job,’” Kraft said. “I said, ‘I’ll take it. Whatever you say, Andy, I’ll do it.’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, it’s this young kid, Bubba Wallace. He’s 16 years old. We’d love for you to come down and spot for him.’”
Kraft admitted he knew little about Wallace before accepting the job. He travelled to Greenville-Pickens Speedway for a K&N Pro Series race, where Wallace delivered a victory.
Kraft recalled the difficult final laps, including problems during restarts and his own frantic radio calls. Wallace eventually told him to calm down.
The win marked the beginning of a partnership that has continued across different teams and racing series.
“We won that race, man. We’ve been together ever since; this is going to be the end of our 17th season doing this together,” Kraft said. “And it’s like a marriage. Sometimes I want to kill him. Sometimes I love him.”
Bubba Wallace Criticism Gets Under Freddie Kraft’s Skin
Kraft said he has never physically fought anyone over criticism of Wallace, but he has confronted people when they spread information he believes is false.
“I’ve never fist fought anybody for him,” Kraft said. “I’ve said some things to people that — It’s just there’s a lot of ignorance out there. People believe what they hear or read someplace, and it’s not true.”
He explained that anonymous comments on social media rarely bother him. When someone attacks him and Wallace online, he sometimes likes the comment simply to show he has seen it.
“Usually if they’re, you know, ‘You and Bubba fucking suck.’ I usually like the comment just to let them know I saw you, but I don’t really give a shit,” Kraft said.
However, he takes criticism differently when people who have never met Wallace make assumptions about his character.
“I tell everybody all the time I said, ‘If you don’t like Bubba, that’s because you never met him.’”
Kraft also recalled hearing negative comments from friends and family members about the 2020 Talladega incident. A garage-stall pull rope was initially reported as a noose, but an FBI investigation later found no evidence of a hate crime.
Kraft said some people continued to discuss the incident without understanding the facts.
“I said, ‘If you don’t know what you’re talking about, shut up,’” he recalled telling someone who raised the controversy.
Freddie Kraft Admits Bubba Wallace Criticism Affects Him
Kraft acknowledged that the criticism has an emotional effect on Wallace and those close to him.
“It’s unfortunate because I know it affects him. How could it not? It affects me, when I see stuff like that. I get angry, but it’s like, ‘Why am I even mad?’ You know, these people don’t matter. Like they’re just looking for a response from us. And as long as you don’t give them one, they’re going to go away.”
He also admitted he does not know how Wallace handles the constant attention and negative comments.
“I don’t know how he deals with it, honestly. It takes thicker skin than I’ve got to see all the stuff that he has to deal with.”
Kraft further questioned why some NASCAR fans complain about Wallace receiving media attention while continuing to engage with posts about him.
“If you fucking idiots would stop putting a thousand comments on every post about him, they would stop talking about him,” Kraft said. “But that’s not the way it goes.”
Despite the criticism, Kraft said his relationship with Wallace remains built on honesty. Their 17-year partnership has included difficult conversations, disagreements and moments when Kraft has challenged the driver’s decisions.
However, he continues to defend Wallace against criticism from people who have formed opinions without knowing him personally.
NASCAR Spotter Defends Bubba Wallace Amid Constant Online Attacks