Netflix has provided a major update about the documentary series focusing on Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing. The streaming platform has revealed that “Race: Bubba Wallace” will debut on February 22, 2022, two days after the Daytona 500.
Netflix announced the news on January 27 and released the first trailer for the six-part series. The clip showed several moments from Wallace’s first season with 23XI Racing, as well as others dating back to his Truck Series days. The trailer also confirmed that there will be an emphasis on the banning of the Confederate flag, Wallace wearing an “I Can’t Breathe” shirt at Martinsville Speedway, and the responses that followed.
“To be in that NASCAR space, and to wear a shirt that says ‘I can’t breathe’ I have a responsibility.” – @BubbaWallace
RACE: BUBBA WALLACE follows Bubba’s rise through NASCAR as the only full-time Black driver and the obstacles he faced after speaking out on racial injustice.
“This is unlike any project I’ve ever participated in; it’s a raw, emotional and completely transparent account of the events that took place throughout the 2020 and 2021 NASCAR seasons,” Wallace said in a statement from Netflix. “With me, what you see is what you get. You’ll witness the peaks and valleys of the sport and see how one’s actions off of the race track are just as important as the ones on it.
“One of the most compelling pieces of the series is the additional insight the viewers will gain by hearing from my peers, family and some of my partners that played a role in this monumental journey. Join me as we break down barriers, confront controversy, and welcome a new fan base to the sport of NASCAR.”
Several Prominent Figures Will Appear
GettyDenny Hamlin (left) will appear in the Netflix series about Bubba Wallace.
According to Netflix’s announcement, the series will feature six, 45-minute episodes. There will be several guests on hand to provide commentary about Wallace and the past two seasons of his life.
Denny Hamlin will obviously play a pivotal role in the series due to his role as the co-owner of 23XI Racing and as a fellow Cup Series driver. Other figures that will appear are Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch, Richard Petty, NASCAR President Steve Phelps, Michael Strahan, Jemele Hill, and W. Kamau Bell will all also appear during the six-episode run.
Netflix announced the series focused on Wallace early in the 2021 season. The streaming platform did not provide any information about the number of episodes or the release date, only saying at the time that the series would take viewers behind the scenes for the 2021 season, as well as “Wallace’s efforts to advocate for diversity, equality, and inclusion in NASCAR and America.”
Hamlin Provided a Significant Update About the Series
GettyDenny Hamlin provided a major update in September.
Following the announcement of the Netflix series, there were very few updates about filming progress for the majority of the season. However, Hamlin provided an important piece of information on September 22, 2021.
Hamlin responded to a tweet by Dirty Mo Media producer Jason Schultz, who complained about the lack of documentary series from NASCAR. He specifically mentioned how the USA Network series focusing on the Cup Series playoffs had nothing being filmed at the time.
“We just wrapped after 7 months of filming for Netflix. Out in Jan,” Hamlin said in his tweet. The 23XI Racing co-owner also responded to another post and said to head to Netflix in January for the behind-the-scenes fix.
According to Hamlin’s tweet, the filming ended before Wallace won his first career Cup Series race, the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 4, 2021. Though it remains likely that Netflix went back and filmed some extra material to cover the effect the victory had on Wallace and 23XI Racing.
The release of “Race: Bubba Wallace” did not take place in January, but the series will soon become available for viewers. They will be able to turn on Netflix two days after the season-opening Daytona 500 and relive moments from 2020 and 2021.
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Netflix Releases Trailer, Date for Bubba Wallace Series