Bubba Wallace gave NASCAR’s new Daytona package a mixed review after the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. The 23XI Racing driver finished 20th and said he could clearly feel the change in the car after NASCAR reduced rear downforce.
The adjustment forced drivers to use smoother inputs, but Wallace said the NASCAR Daytona package did not fully change how the race unfolded. Fuel saving remained a major part of the strategy, with drivers spending long periods running at partial throttle instead of making constant moves.
Wallace also saw some positive signs, saying the package allowed bigger runs and more passing. His comments provide an early look at how the NASCAR Daytona package performed in a real race and what could still change before Talladega.
Bubba Wallace feels NASCAR Daytona package changes
Wallace said the reduced rear downforce was noticeable from the cockpit. He explained that drivers had to be more careful with their throttle and steering inputs.
“It was okay,” Wallace said after finishing 20th. “It was definitely a loss of a little bit of rear downforce. You could feel that. So you just kind of had to be easier with your inputs.”
However, Wallace said the NASCAR Daytona package did not completely alter the race. Fuel saving continued to shape the action, limiting how aggressively drivers could race for position.
“But kind of played out the same, just saving fuel and riding around a quarter percent throttle,” Wallace said.
NASCAR introduced the new Daytona package to encourage more passing and create larger runs in the draft. Wallace said he noticed some improvement in both areas.
“I thought the runs could get a little bit bigger and you could make some passes,” he said. “It kind of felt like the Gen 6 car.”
Bubba Wallace already looking toward Talladega
Wallace now has another superspeedway race to test the NASCAR Daytona package. Talladega will give teams another chance to see whether the changes can produce different racing over a full race distance.
“I’m excited for Talladega,” Wallace said. “I really take a lot of pride in trying to get better each and every speedway race.”
Wallace also explained why his night ended with a 20th-place finish despite a strong start.
“It’s like we fire off really good, first stage, second, first half of the second stage,” Wallace said. “And then we just kind of finished 20th tonight, you know, unfortunate circumstances with the way the cards fell.”
NASCAR Daytona package faces stage-length question
Wallace said the difficulty goes beyond the car itself. Drivers must make the right decisions on the track while teams must manage pit stops and strategy.
“This stuff is hard,” Wallace said. “Putting yourself in the right spot on the racetrack, putting yourself in the right spot from the pit box and the strategy standpoint, it’s all hard. There’s nothing easy about this. And so we just got to figure out how to be better than the rest.”
He also identified stage lengths as one possible area NASCAR could examine because fuel saving continues to affect the race.
“I mean, I think that’s the only fix is messing with the lengths,” Wallace said. “And which direction, I have no idea.”
Wallace’s Daytona comments give NASCAR another clear data point. The package changed how the car felt and helped create bigger runs, but fuel saving and strategy remained major factors in the race.
NASCAR Cup Series Driver Bubba Wallace Raises Fresh Concerns After Daytona Disappointment