Tyler Reddick, quite understandably, has been the talk of the town in the opening three weekends of the 2026 NASCAR season, with him becoming the first driver since the Cup Series’ inception to start the year with three consecutive trips to the victory lane. But co-owner of 23XI Racing, Denny Hamlin, does not want the spotlight just on his star driver.
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Bubba Wallace, Reddick’s teammate, also deserves praise according to Hamlin. He is currently second in the points table after finishing the race at the Circuit of the Americas in 11th place on Sunday.
Hamlin spoke about Wallace’s growth on road courses in this week’s episode of Actions Detrimental. He pointed out that when Wallace joined the team in 2020, he was someone who would finish in the mid-20s on a good day. But now, he has the speed and skill to finish in the top-10. This is the result of consistent hard work.
Hamlin added, “I think he’s really taken some big steps. What that allows him to do is now again he’s P2 in points, getting going to a bunch of ovals. So, they love where they’re at, as they should.”
How much do the statistics support this contention? The last time Wallace finished in the top 10 at a road course was at Watkins Glen last year, where he placed eighth.
Before that, Wallace finished ninth at the Charlotte ROVAL in 2024. The rest of his last 10 road course appearances have resulted in finishes outside the top 10. Across the rest of his career on road courses, he has just two additional top 10 finishes. One came at the Charlotte ROVAL and the other at the Indianapolis Road Course, both in 2022.
While the numbers do not fully reflect how much Wallace has improved on road courses, his performances suggest progress. He approaches these races with the same confidence he brings to other venues. Unfortunately, his efforts have been overshadowed by Reddick’s dominance so far this season.
The 23XI Racing driver came close to winning at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta. A poor decision while leading during an overtime restart cost him several positions, and he ultimately settled for eighth place. His Toyota has shown impressive speed and has drawn attention across the field. He will look to turn that speed into a trip to Victory Lane when he races at Phoenix Raceway this Sunday.
