Bubba Wallace lost a chance at a strong finish at Phoenix Raceway after a pit-road speeding penalty ruined his late-race run. The 23XI Racing driver led 52 laps in the Freeway Insurance 500 but finished 17th after the costly mistake.
Crew chief Charles Denike has now explained how the No. 23 team plans to respond to the setback. Rather than blame Wallace alone, Denike stressed the need for everyone to review their decisions and support one another.
He also pointed to the challenges of Phoenix’s curved pit road, where drivers must judge their speed, position, and timing while approaching their pit stalls.
Denike said the team had reviewed the incident and identified areas it needed to improve before returning to the track.
NASCAR: Charles Denike Explains Wallace’s Phoenix Penalty
Wallace appeared to be in a strong position before the late caution brought the leaders to pit road. However, the speeding penalty cost him valuable track position and left him finishing 17th.
Denike said the team needed to support one another when mistakes affected a race result.
“We both have to lift each other up when we struggle or when we make a bad move or a bad decision,” Denike said.
The crew chief also explained why Phoenix pit-road conditions challenge drivers and teams.
“Phoenix is kind of unique because so much of pit road is curved. So, your choices of good pit stalls on the backstretch part are fairly limited,” he said.
The No. 23 team didn’t qualify as well as it wanted, which limited its options when choosing a pit stall. Denike said the team chose a stall that is usually a good option, despite the challenges its position created.
“There’s a lot going on with light changes, when to turn into the stall, and making sure that you’re positioned in the car well for the pit crew,” Denike explained.
Charles Denike Calls for Teamwork After Wallace’s Mistake
Denike said the curved pit road makes it harder for drivers to judge approaching traffic when leaving their stalls.
“When you go to leave, it’s hard to see because you can’t see the cars coming around the curve. So, it’s just one of those challenges that we face whenever there’s a curved pit road.”
The crew chief said the team needed to examine the entire pit-road process rather than focus only on Wallace’s actions.
“So, we approach that just like we would any other time that we had something not go our way by the end of the race. And, you know, we look at what any of us could have done differently,” Denike said.
He also questioned whether the team could improve its communication and preparation before Wallace entered the pit stall.
“Is there something that I can say differently? Is there something that Freddie can do differently as we’re approaching it, not just him in the driver’s seat, to make sure that we hit the marks on pit road that we need to hit before turning into the stall?”
Denike said the team had already reviewed the incident and identified details it needed to handle better.
“We looked at that yesterday, on what white line is going across pit road at the point where the car needs to still be out past the hash marks, and making sure that we identify that type of thing better in the future and apply this to other scenarios, other tracks also.”
NASCAR: Bubba Wallace Looks to Bounce Back at Talladega
Wallace’s 17th-place finish at Phoenix came after he led 52 laps and remained in contention before the late penalty. The mistake left him little time to recover, while 23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick went on to win.
The result highlighted the importance of avoiding costly pit-stop errors, especially late in a race when track position becomes critical.
Denike said the team would use the experience to improve its preparation and communication. He also stressed that the response needed to involve everyone on the No. 23 team.
Wallace and 23XI Racing will next look to make the most of their opportunity at Talladega Superspeedway. After the Phoenix setback, the team will aim to turn its pace into a stronger result while applying the lessons learned from the pit-road penalty.
NASCAR: Bubba Wallace’s Crew Chief Opens Up After Late Phoenix Penalty