Bubba Wallace has a high profile fan rooting for him


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Bubba Wallace will begin his rookie campaign at the Daytona 500 with a lot of eyes on him. The 24 year old driver has been starring in a documentary season showing the run-up to The Great American Race, and is also behind the wheel of the iconic 43 Richard Petty Motorsports car.

All of that factors in, but another claim to fame for Wallace is the fact that he is the first African American driver in NASCAR since Wendell Scott 47 years ago. Wallace doesn't necessarily like that to be the first thing people think of, but it has a real effect on the attention that will be directed his way.

Related: NASCAR predictions: Our pick for the 2018 Cup Series Rookie of the Year

Being a pioneer in racing is something Four-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton knows well, and he is clearly a Bubba Wallace fan.

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Hamilton took to Twitter to wish Wallace good luck in the Daytona 500, and Wallace took notice.

Hamilton is Formula One's first black driver, and seems to keep an eye on NASCAR himself, having once mentioned that he would like to drive in the series at some point.