Getty Bubba Wallace added another top-5 finish at Darlington Raceway.
Every season of Bubba Wallace‘s Cup Series career, he has improved his average finish while gaining more experience. The past two races are only the latest examples of his “baby steps” paying off as he scored top-five finishes and crucial points.
The most recent race, which took place at Darlington Raceway, featured Wallace avoiding a massive pileup and recovering from an early issue on pit road. He finished fifth and captured his fourth top-five in the first 13 weeks of the season.
“We’re taking baby steps on getting better at Darlington,” Wallace told Heavy ahead of the trip to Darlington. “I remember going there for the first time in an Xfinity car and — I think — hitting the fence Lap 1 not really knowing how to race that place and attack it. Trying too hard when our cars weren’t there.
“Now, our mile-and-a-half stuff has really made huge strides. So when you show up, you have the raw speed. So it kind of makes everything a little bit easier. You don’t have to go out and try too hard because that’s a place where you try too hard, it’ll bite back.”
Wallace’s Progress Has Put Him in Playoff Contention
GettyBubba Wallace watches practice at Road America.
The start of the season was not as smooth as Wallace and 23XI Racing would have hoped. He crashed twice in the first six races and finished 30th at Auto Club Speedway due to an engine issue. Though a fourth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway served as a bright point.
The trip to Bristol Motor Speedway in April was the turning point on the stat sheet. Wallace finished 12 and has since gone on to score three top-10s and two top-fives. He also finished 12th at Dover Motor Speedway. The only outlier was the Geico 500. Wallace had the lead on the final lap, but he crashed while trying to block Ryan Blaney.
This team continues to fight. 💪
@BubbaWallace (P5) has now finished in the top 12 in five of the last six races.
Following the trip to Darlington Raceway, Wallace is solidly in contention for a playoff spot. He sits 15th overall with 293 points, and he is 18 points above Chase Briscoe and the cutline.
“I’m excited that we’re on the right track at this point of the year because I know 365 days ago, it was rough,” Wallace said. “We had the speed, but we didn’t have the execution. And so for us to be in a spot that we’re in, we’re climbing out of our hole. Still right there on the cutoff line for playoffs.
“And we’re right there on the cutoff for getting our first win of the year. Things are clicking. But I always say, ‘Nothing’s guaranteed. You still gotta go out and earn it.’ It’s just fun to be where we’re at right now.”
Denny Hamlin Has Seen This Continued Progress
GettyBubba Wallace (right) has responded to praise from Denny Hamlin (center).
Prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, Denny Hamlin said that Wallace was “better than I thought he was.” He explained that he knew the driver of the No. 23 Toyota was talented, but he specifically highlighted the amount of work taking place behind the scenes.
Since Hamlin’s media availability in the heartland, Wallace has scored back-to-back top-five finishes. He has also done so while going head-to-head with champions and Crown Jewel winners alike. This includes his boss. Though Hamlin and Wallace view each other differently than fans and analysts.
“It’s funny when you hear it on the broadcasts or whatnot, like, ‘Oh, Bubba and the boss are racing,'” Wallace said. “It’s Denny and Bubba racing. We’re not boss and employee there. That’s strictly competition.”
Wallace has gotten the best of Hamlin on some occasions, such as the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway in 2022 when he won. Hamlin crossed the finish line second overall and showed both excitement and disappointment. The reason is that he lost, but he also watched his driver win.
Of course, Wallace knows that he has the support of the three-time Daytona 500 winner as he pursues wins and a spot in the playoffs. Hamlin made a point of bringing him to 23XI Racing at the start of the 2021 season, and he has spoken openly about the progress being made each week.
“Hearing that from a competitor is really special,” Wallace added. “I knew going into this deal Denny has a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge and has basically the notebook on how to win all the races. To take a couple pages out of that — if not the whole d*** thing — is beneficial for all of us, and we’re continuing to learn.
“We just made our programs better from all aspects — from short tracks, road courses, speedways, intermediates — we’re just making small strides to get there. And then I’m trying to do my part, whether that’s simulation or giving the right feedback and just understanding how to attack each corner.”
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Bubba Wallace’s ‘Baby Steps’ Are Paying Off in 2023