While team 23XI Racing has initiated a lawsuit against NASCAR and its CEO, Jim France, alleging monopolistic practices, driver Bubba Wallace was celebrating. He and his wife Amanda announced the arrival of their new born son, Becks Hayden Wallace, last Sunday.
The ongoing controversy has sent ripples through the NASCAR community as 23XI co-founder Denny Hamlin publicly criticized NASCAR and its CEO for allegedly exercising their authority in an "unfair manner." 23XI Racing, in collaboration with Front Row Motorsports, has taken legal action by filing an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR in federal court in North Carolina.
NASCAR, along with Speedway Motorsports, maintains exclusive control over the tracks utilized in their series, effectively preventing the emergence of competing leagues. Moreover, NASCAR owns the Next Gen car, which compels teams to buy parts exclusively from NASCAR-approved suppliers at fixed prices.
The legal dispute arose after both teams refused to sign NASCAR's final charter proposal during the recent meeting at Atlanta Motor Speedway. After two years of negotiations, a large sticking point remained: NASCAR's unwillingness to grant permanent charters, prompting the teams to take legal action against the organization.
Wallace, who returned to Talladega this weekend, revealed a massive shift in duties recently—from shifting gears at triple-digit speeds to changing diapers. Luckily for him, he hasn't been complaining. Explaining his new role as a father, the 23XI driver told the media before qualifying:
“I’ve been focused on baby boy! What a blessing he has been to our family.
“Becks is doing really good. He sleeps a lot, which is great. People talk about a lack of sleep, I hope my wife isn’t watching, because I feel good. I hope she feels good. Yeah, everything’s been going really good and this first week, I’m enjoying it, I’ve had a smile on my face.
“We’ve been learning what not to do. I feel like I’m a master at changing diapers, I never changed a diaper before on my own. So, I figured that out but I feel like I’m going to get humbled here the next couple of weeks, he’s got some tricks up his sleeves already. But all in all it’s just been a really good week.”
Considering the controversy, Wallace has had quite a bit of catching up to do, while his 23XI teammate Tyler Reddick revealed the team was updated about the ongoing situation. Speaking to Steven Taranto of CBS Sports on X:
“I mean they let us know what’s going on and yeah, basically along the same lines as what you guys have heard from Curtis and the lawyers.
“So, yeah all good here.”
When asked again about the situation, he added:
“No, I haven’t felt uncomfortable yet. I’ll let you know if that changes.”
Instead, Reddick revealed he was uncomfortable when he left Richard Childress Racing back in 2022. He said:
“Well, that was uncomfortable.
“This [lawsuit controversy], in my opinion thus far, has not been uncomfortable.”
