Denny Hamlin: Bubba Wallace ‘Better Than I Thought He Was’

Bubba Wallace has delivered two wins for 23XI Racing since the start of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, his first year with the team. Denny Hamlin believed Wallace would achieve success, but the Alabama native has definitely exceeded his expectations.

“He’s better than I thought he was,” Hamlin told media members at Kansas Speedway on May 6. “I mean, that’s just the simple answer. I knew he was good, I didn’t know he had the potential to be great.

“I think that he’s continued to chip away at getting better and better every week. Every racetrack that is an Achilles heel to him, he just keeps chipping away and finishing a few spots better each time he goes. So he’s really evolving as a driver, and I’m super proud of him.”

The 2022 season serves as an example of Wallace’s growth as a driver. He entered his second full-time season at 23XI Racing with 12 top-10 finishes and six top-fives between 2018 and 2021. He also had a win at Talladega Superspeedway.

Wallace kicked off 2022 by finishing second in the Daytona 500 behind Austin Cindric. He then went on to set career-high marks in top-10s (10) and top-fives (five) while adding his second career win. Wallace also won the Busch Light Pole Award for the first time.

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There Was a Specific Turning Point for Wallace & 23XI Racing

While the 2022 season served as the best season of Wallace’s career, it was not without issues. There were struggles early in the year, especially on pit road, that led to Wallace missing out on solid finishes. Mechanical problems, crashes, and a one-race suspension created further problems.

The No. 45 team of Kurt Busch had more top-10 finishes during the early stretch of the season, but it still dealt with some struggles. For example, there were four finishes outside of the top 30 in the first 11 races of the season.

Hamlin saw the struggles of both his drivers and their teams, so he took some steps to address the problem. He sat everyone down, and he made it clear that he expected better performances from them.

“After Dover last year, met with the drivers, met with the teams on my expectations,” Hamlin said. “Certainly was not ecstatic about our performance, both on and off the racetrack, and just felt like we needed to step up and figure out who we’re gonna be. And from that point on, it’s been good.”

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1 Race Was Significant for Wallace

The 2022 season had high and low points alike, but none were bigger than the Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway on September 11. This is the race where Wallace turned in the best performance of his career.

Wallace led 53 laps in the No. 45 Toyota Camry — 23XI Racing switched numbers late in the season — and he stacked points in all three stages. He then went on to hold off Hamlin and capture the second Cup Series win of his career. Wallace also completed the season sweep at Kansas after Kurt Busch won the spring race at the intermediate track.

“It was massive for the team,” Wallace said during a media session on May 6. “The win last year was big for the team and to get the sweep was really cool. The 23 car was pretty solid there in the first race too — we had some troubles that kind of took us out of contention, so to come back and seal the deal in the 45 was just special for our team and being so new.

“That was our second year and making the most of it. I’m assuming when they all started this, they didn’t plan on sweeping the Kansas races in their second year going. Just proud to be a part of the process, and coming back here, I think all the momentum is on our side, there’s no better way to put it.”

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