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23XI Racing did not celebrate a win at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29, but the two-car organization left NASCAR‘s home track pointing to progress after delivering a historic night.
Per information provided by Toyota Racing Development, the Coca-Cola 600 was the first time in the organization’s history that both drivers finished inside of the top five in a points-paying race. Bubba Wallace crossed the finish line fourth overall while Tyler Reddick was just behind in fifth place.
Interestingly, the Crown Jewel race marked the second consecutive week that both drivers finished inside of the top five. Though the first time was the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, which is an exhibition event.
“We had a fantastic car,” Reddick said after the race. “We just couldn’t get around the 12 [Ryan Blaney]. We were way faster than he was for most of the day.
“I tried to take our time because it’s obviously a 400-lap race, but yeah, made a few mistakes along the way and then I knocked the fence down and then every time we did, we lost a little speed in our Jordan Brand 23XI Toyota.”
Both Drivers Dealt With Obstacles at Charlotte Motor Speedway
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Getty(L-R) Bubba Wallace, Kurt Busch & Tyler Reddick pose at Darlington Raceway.
Reddick and Wallace both delivered top-five finishes in the longest race on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, which was significant for 23XI Racing. They also both overcame multiple setbacks that threatened to derail their races.
Reddick, in particular, slammed hard into the wall during the race. If this hit had been in the Gen 6 car, it would have sent him to the garage and ended his day. Instead, he was able to continue in the race.
Reddick had another brush with a DNF. He lost control while racing in the outside lane, and he brushed the wall with the rear of his No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD. He then took a trip through the infield turf, catching a little air in the process but avoiding damage.
Wallace’s issues were mostly on pit road, which stemmed from the loss of stall selection after the No. 23 failed inspection twice. He lost several positions during one stop due to Corey Lajoie blocking in Alex Bowman, who then blocked in Wallace.
There was another issue on Lap 149 as Wallace made a green flag pit stop. NASCAR penalized his team for equipment interference, which led to him serving a pass-through penalty.
Wallace was able to recover from this penalty and he eventually put himself within striking distance of a top-10 finish when it mattered. He lined up 14th on the final restart with 20 laps to go, and he jumped up to sixth within two laps. Wallace then spent the closing laps working his way to fourth place.
“It started on Friday. We didn’t get through tech,” Wallace said after the race. “We are trying to push all we can get, and didn’t happen, so bad pit selection really set us back all day. I knew it would be a grind. I need my pit crew to know that as well — they made a couple mistakes — but they rebounded.
“We were playing the cards that we were dealt. I’m super proud of this Dr. Pepper Toyota team. Just continuing to make strides and continuing to show up and be a part of the factor. Just makes you think — if you were that close on the final restart, or closer, what could have happened.”
Both Drivers Have Recovered From Difficult Starts
23XI Racing entered the 2023 season full of optimism. The organization was entering its third season, and it had Wallace and Reddick ready to add more wins to their respective totals.
The early portion of the season did not play out as expected. Wallace had four DNFs and only two top-10 finishes in the first 10 weeks of the season. Reddick crashed in the first two races before finishing 15th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which dropped him outside of the top 30 in points.
Both drivers have since turned their seasons around. Reddick was the first to do so as he rattled off three consecutive top-five finishes and a win in the three weeks after the trip to Las Vegas. He has since added three more top-10s and two more top-fives while putting himself solidly inside of the top 10 in the championship standings.
The turning point for Wallace’s season was the trip to Dover Motor Speedway. He kicked off the month of May by finishing 12th at the Monster Mile, and he has since posted three consecutive top-five finishes. Though his runner-up in the All-Star Race makes it four straight.
Wallace remains in pursuit of his first win since Kansas in 2022, but he is still on pace to make the playoffs for the first time in his career. He is 15th overall after the first 14 races, and he has 12 more opportunities to add points to his total.
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