Santa Bubba Wallace Takes Cheeky Swipe on Denny Hamlin on Christmas
Bubba Wallace pokes fun at Denny Hamlin with a savage Christmas prank, referencing their Kansas clash and reflecting on his breakout 2025 NASCAR season.
- Fahad Hamid
- 5 min read
If there is one thing we know about the NASCAR off-season, it’s that the drivers have way too much time on their hands. And usually, that results in some pretty quality content for the rest of us who are desperately waiting for Daytona to roll around. This year, the holiday MVP award definitely goes to the No. 23 team, with Wallace himself donning the red suit to decide who at 23XI Racing has been naughty and who has been nice.
While most of the team got the sweet treatment, one particular co-owner found himself on the receiving end of a very dusty, very jagged reality check. Yes, Wallace actually gave Denny Hamlin a bag of coal.
In a new clip circulating on social media, Wallace is seen strolling through the 23XI Racing “Airspeed” shop in Huntersville, playing the role of Santa Claus. It starts wholesome enough. He hands out candy canes to teammates Tyler Reddick and Riley Herbst, spreading that festive cheer.
He even leaves a little treat outside Michael Jordan’s office, because you don’t give His Airness a lump of coal unless you want to be unemployed by New Year’s Eve. But then he gets to Denny Hamlin.
1. The “Gift” That Keeps on Giving
The video takes a hilarious turn when Wallace pulls out a literal bag of black rocks for his boss. “Denny, you made the naughty list, pal,” Wallace says to the camera, with the kind of smirk that suggests he’s been waiting months to do this. “I give you a whole box of coal.” It’s a cheeky jab, sure, but if you’ve been following the Cup Series drama this year, you know there is a little bit of truth behind the prank. It’s funny, but it’s also a reminder of one of the most awkward dynamics in modern sports: when your boss is also your fiercest competitor on the track. For those who might have scrubbed the memory from their brains, let’s rewind to Kansas Speedway. This is precisely why Hamlin got the coal treatment. During the final lap, Hamlin—who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing but owns the car Wallace drives—got aggressive. He ran alongside Wallace and made contact that sent the No. 23 Toyota into the wall.
2. Clearing the Air Between Driver and Owner
That wasn’t just a “rubbing is racing” moment. That contact effectively cost Wallace a shot at winning the race and, more importantly, killed his chances of locking a spot in the Round of 8. Imagine your boss walking into your cubicle, knocking your computer off the desk, ruining your big project, and then saying, “Good effort today.” That’s basically what happened at 200 mph. So, a bag of coal feels like a pretty light punishment considering the playoff implications that wreck had. Despite the savage Christmas gift, it seems the two have actually patched things up. You can’t really carry that kind of baggage into a new season, especially when you share a race shop. Wallace confirmed that they had a “heart-to-heart” conversation after the season had settled. “It came from a place of peace,” Wallace noted regarding their conversation. “It went better than I thought it would. He shared his side of things, and I shared mine, and we had common ground.” At the end of the day, Hamlin is trying to win championships for himself, and Wallace is trying to prove he belongs in the upper echelon of the sport. Sometimes those goals are going to occupy the same piece of asphalt.
3. Looking Back at a Landmark 2025 Season
Wallace actually has plenty of reasons to celebrate this holiday season. While he didn’t achieve the deep playoff run that everyone at 23XI had hoped for, 2025 was statistically a massive step forward. He finished 11th in the final standings, which is nothing to sneeze at. He racked up six top-5 finishes and 14 top-10s. But the crown jewel of the year was snapping that long winless drought by kissing the bricks at the Brickyard 400 in July. Winning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a career-defining moment for any driver, and for Wallace, it was validation that he can close out the big ones. Leading a career-high 378 laps proves he’s running up front more consistently, rather than just surviving until the end. As Wallace told Racer, “I’d call it a successful season, for sure.” The reason Wallace is feeling so festive (and forgiving enough only to give coal rather than a darker gesture) is his life off the track. Fatherhood agrees with him. Since welcoming his son Becks Hayden in late 2024, Wallace has been open about how his perspective has shifted. He’s noted that being a dad helps him manage the immense stress of the Cup Series and keeps him grounded. And he’s going to need all the stress management he can get—he and his wife, Amanda, are expecting their second child in March 2026. So, while he’s playing Santa at the shop now, he’s going to be playing Santa for real for a growing household very soon. Here’s hoping 2026 brings fewer walls, more wins, and maybe a candy cane for Hamlin, provided he stays in his lane.