Bubba Wallace, Blickensderfer developing early season chemistry

RELATED: Bubba, Hamlin at odds | Full schedule for Atlanta HAMPTON, Ga. – Drew Blickensderfer had a few words for his driver Darrell Wallace Jr. before last weekend's Daytona 500. “We will claw, scratch and fight our ass off for you all day long,” Blickensderfer said, documented in the final episode of Facebook Watch’s docuseries “Behind the Wall: Bubba Wallace.” “I know you’ll do the same for us and at the end of the day, we’ll take what we can get.” What they got was a second-place finish, bringing the young driver on a journey of emotions from tears to laughter that night. It had been a long few weeks for Wallace, who had been shadowed by a camera crew for weeks in filming the docuseries leading up to his run in the “Great American Race” in the iconic No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet. “It was tough. Probably 90 percent of the stuff I talk about at the tests or at the race track is confidential stuff,” Blickensderfer told NASCAR.com on the constant camera presence. “So, we tried to keep them away when we were dealing with race cars and let 'em come in when we were kind of team bonding. It was definitely different and a little difficult.” The cameras captured the intricacies of Wallace’s life, going into his house, motorcoach and even dinner with his girlfriend, Amanda. What was also captured was Wallace’s growth – not just as a driver, but as a person, too. “I think he dealt with it really well and he proved that Sunday when he was able to kind of put all this behind him and just go out there and race,” Wallace’s best friend and fellow Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney said Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “I don’t think he could have handled that a few years ago.” MORE: Behind the Wall: Bubba Wallace Blickensderfer has witnessed Wallace’s growth firsthand, from steering the ship for Wallace’s four starts in the No. 43 in 2017 when the young driver’s future was uncertain, to serving as his full-time crew chief now. “I think from afar, people probably thought he was immature a few years ago,” Blickensderfer said. “And maybe that’s what it looks like. He’s matured a lot. I think last year was humbling to him. I think when he came and drove our car, we were excited and we kind of rallied around him and he saw it as a home here. “He wasn’t Bubba the race car driver to us; he was part of the family. “(That’s) one thing the Pettys and this team kind of strive for and (what) we’re working on right now because we’re small. We don’t have enough employees; we don’t have enough people. We need to all get around and kind of rally around each other and Bubba’s part of that.” The “home” and “family” aspect of Richard Petty Motorsports is something Wallace has often referenced in interviews. He says he feels comfortable there and seems to have found a niche in the King’s team. “From Day 1, I just felt part of the family because of (Petty).” Wallace said in the final episode of “Behind the Wall.” “It started out with, ‘Hey man, how’s it going?' to he’s my grandpa basically.” The dynamic between him and Blickensderfer also seems to have aided in that comfort, something viewers witnessed throughout the eight-part docuseries. “It’s one of the better relationships I’ve had with a driver,” Blickensderfer said. “We get along well, we can joke. I’m a little lower key than he is; we’re kind of yin and yang that way. “When you look in the garage area, the really good driver-crew chief relationships are that way. They complement each other … I think when you look at Chad (Knaus) and Jimmie (Johnson) and people like that, they both work for the same goal but different ways.” The two are in their early stages, having only run five points-paying races together. There’s some figuring-out to do still, Blickensderfer said. “Some guys need pats on the back and some need kicks in the butt to get going,” he said. “Bubba can do both, I think. It’s my job to make sure he doesn’t get too down on himself -- he’s really hard on himself. But it’s also my job to kick him in the butt when he needs it and I think he likes that and respects it. Like coaches and athletes, he’s OK with me getting on him because he knows at the end of the day, we both want the same thing.” What they want are wins – and one day, championships. The potential for something big is there. Their third-place run in the Duels and runner-up finish in the Daytona 500 proved that. “This is the easy part,” Blickensderfer said, leaning into Wallace’s window just before the Duels on Feb. 15 during the seventh episode of “Behind the Wall. “Just do our deal. This will be the start. Whatever happens tonight is not going to define us. “But it will be the start of a big ball of momentum to get rolling here.” His pre-Daytona words are almost prophetic; the momentum on track is rolling for the No. 43. And so is the potential of Wallace and Blickensderfer.