Bubba Wallace came painfully close to ending his wait for a NASCAR Cup Series win on Sunday, but a late mistake left the 23XI Racing driver with second place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Wallace stayed in contention for most of the Dollar Tree 301 and closed quickly on Ryan Blaney in the final run. His No. 23 Toyota had enough speed to challenge for the win, but its handling remained difficult throughout the race.
With five laps left, Wallace locked his left-front tire while dealing with traffic from Cole Custer. The mistake caused a major vibration and ended his push for the lead. Blaney went on to win by 0.586 seconds, while Wallace secured his second runner-up finish of the 2026 season.
Bubba Wallace struggles with handling at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Bubba Wallace admitted his NASCAR Cup Series car was difficult to handle despite its speed at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
“I’m a really bad handling race car, and so it’s fast though. So that’s the frustrating part is you got to throw everything away that you know what feels good and just deal with it. And so that’s what we were able to do.”
Wallace adapted to the car and remained near the front as the race developed. He also recognized the strength of Team Penske on the flat track.
“Just hate we couldn’t seal it. The Penske cars are good at the flat track, so we really got to go to work.”
Bubba Wallace loses NASCAR Cup Series charge after late mistake
Bubba Wallace entered the final stage with a four-tire advantage over Blaney, who had taken only two tires during his final pit stop. That gave the No. 23 Toyota more grip and helped Wallace close the gap during the final laps of the NASCAR Cup Series race.
Traffic then became a problem. Wallace tried to move around Custer’s No. 41 but pushed too hard and locked up.
“Lapped traffic was tough. Just tried too hard there around the 41 and locked up and picked up a big vibration. So, didn’t want to end our day. So, just kind of limped it around and made the most of it.”
The vibration ended Wallace’s chance to challenge Blaney for the New Hampshire Motor Speedway win. He still brought the car home second and strengthened his position in the NASCAR playoffs.
Bubba Wallace turns attention to Daytona after NASCAR Cup Series loss
Bubba Wallace said the long final run at New Hampshire Motor Speedway required patience because the car remained difficult to manage.
“We kind of knew like the first 25, 30 laps, they were better than us, and then we kind of leveled off. For the last 40, I’m just hanging on, trying to make the most of it.”
Wallace thanked his team and partners after another strong NASCAR Cup Series result.
“Appreciate Cincoro, Toyota, it was a good day here in Loudon. Just hate to come home second.”
Wallace will next race at Daytona International Speedway on August 29, where he will seek his first NASCAR Cup Series win of the 2026 season.
NASCAR Cup Series: Bubba Wallace’s Strong Run Ends in Brutal Heartbreak at New Hampshire