MAKING WAVES

What do you get when you put an exciting, young (24-yearold) race-car driver on a South Bay pontoon boat? We caught up with Bubba Wallace to find out.

Did you grow up boating in North Carolina?

No. The only time I ever went on a boat was when I visited my uncle in Mobile, Alabama. I remember riding his Jet Skis.

How did you wind up with a pontoon boat?

South Bay is a partner of my racing team. I’d never had any desire to live by the water or own a boat, and then I went out on the lake [where I now live], and we found a rope swing in a cove where lots of boats raft-up for the day. It was really cool.

When did you start racing?

I started racing go-karts when I was 9. I just kept going and racing in every circuit as I got older and better, and now I’m with Richard Petty in the Cup Series.

How does driving a ’toon compare to your race car? You go from 200 mph to 34 mph, so it’s a nice stress reliever. The first time I took it out, I cruised around all day at 20 mph, and it was so relaxing.