NASCAR drivers are used to pushing their limits at incredible speeds on the track, but what about their lives off-track? That’s obviously a different story. When racing meets reality, even expert drivers need to adhere to the road rules. Ask Bubba Wallace all about it. Getting pulled over back in the day taught him a lesson: no shortcuts on the streets for NASCAR stars.

In a recent conversation with podcaster Katie Nolan, Wallace confessed to a time when he was pulled over by the traffic police. Here’s what happened: Nolan was discussing an iconic scenario of how a conversation would go if a driver gets pulled over for speeding, citing how the driver can joke about being safe with it since it’s their profession. Coincidentally, Wallace had been through a very similar incident. He recalled, “I did get pulled over one time. It was 2012, for crossing the center lane. There were only left-hand turns, so I shortened up distances […] I crossed the center lane, yes, it’s very illegal, you can’t cross the double yellow line […] Not even in a pinch.

“I told the cop, ‘Hey man! Sorry, I do that for a living. I got to turn left for a living.’ He was like, ‘Alright, I get that. I’m going to give you a ticket for your 10 though’,” he shared on the Casuals with Katie Nolan podcast. On the track, cutting across lanes and pushing the limits of speed is part of the sport, but on public roads, those same actions are considered serious violations. His playful excuse of ‘turning left for a living’ shows the humor in the situation, but the officer’s response definitely makes it clear how driving in the real world has no shortcuts, even if you’re a NASCAR driver. However, that wasn’t the only instance.

Back in 2020, the driver wrote a piece for ‘The Players’ Tribune’, where he recalled how a cop pulled him over in Virginia for not using a turn signal. The officer walked up to his window and questioned, “There’s a lot of nice cars coming through these roads with either drugs, money, or weapons. You don’t have any of those, do you?”

“No, sir,” he responded. “Just going to visit my friend.” Wallace was asked to step out, and he did as told. Soon, three other cops came over and searched his car, but that rubbed him the wrong way.

There was also a time when Brazil’s late Ayrton Senna was pulled over for speeding in the UK. It took place in the 1992 British Grand Prix weekend when he was driving at 125 mph, 55 mph over the limit. The policeman might not have been a Formula One fan as he asked him, “Who do you think you are, Nigel Mansell?” referring to the British veteran. There are different iterations of what happened next, but a widely accepted one suggests the policeman ended up taking his autograph before letting him go.

Wallace and his 23XI teammates are facing an uncertain future in NASCAR

The lawsuit between 23XI, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR has been a long-standing story in the motorsport world. So far, both parties have been going back and forth, with no signs of letting up. As per the latest development, a preliminary injunction hearing is ongoing, scheduled for Thursday, August 28, where both sides will present their sets of arguments.

NASCAR would insist on proceeding with the charter transfers so that they don’t have to face any operational problems for the next season. But the teams would want NASCAR to stop doing anything until the trial, as losing charters before the trial would make them suffer in their business.

What’s worse is that whatever the decision is, it would come into effect in the 2026 NASCAR Cup season. If things go sideways, this could strip 23XI and Front Row of their guaranteed race entries, prize money, and long-term sponsorship stability. Without charters, they’d be reduced to open teams with no financial security, making it harder to attract sponsors, retain drivers, and cover operational costs. Ultimately, it puts them at serious risk of going out of business.