Bubba Wallace and the 23XI Racing team are preparing for a potential playoff-eliminating race on Sunday at the Charlotte Roval. But Wallace is not overly worried about his predicament. He’s minus-26 below the cutline to advance to the Round of 8 semifinals, which start next week in Las Vegas.
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Wallace — or even teammate Tyler Reddick, who’s minus-29, for that matter — isn’t worried about 23XI’s lawsuit against NASCAR on the legality of NASCAR Cup Team charters either. The trial is due to start December 1, pending any potential settlement that could still be reached between the two teams and the sanctioning body.
“I don’t want to say naive to the fact, but we don’t go there and talk about December 1st,” Wallace said during media availability Saturday at the Charlotte Roval. “It is our jobs; it is our livelihoods to give it everything we’ve got for the race that is ahead of us.”
“That sounds like a very cliché answer, but I could care less. I’ve got five races left to go out and fight for a championship, and I set that tone from the beginning of the year. We’ve got to work out tails off to make it count each and every week.”
That said, if Wallace doesn’t win Sunday or at least get past Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, and Chase Briscoe in the standings, his championship hopes will be over, and there will be no championship fight left for him or Reddick.
“With everything going on in the background, I’ve encouraged my guys to stay focused on that – so I can’t answer your question and give you any insight to that, nor would if it was the case, but I genuinely don’t feel that,” Wallace said. “Now if Sunday was December 1st – mood was pretty down, and I hate that for my team, but it is a new weekend. Fresh opportunity in front of us. It is time to go focus on that.”
23XI and Front Row Motorsports are the only teams that have not signed an agreement with NASCAR to keep the current charter system in place through the 2031 season. Both 23XI and FRM have claimed NASCAR is violating antitrust stipulations, something NASCAR denies.
At the same time, there have been numerous reports and rumors about the ongoing legal issue between NASCAR and the two rogue teams, including reports that 23XI Racing majority owner Michael Jordan could potentially fold his two-car team if it loses the lawsuit. That would be a major hit, because NASCAR has touted Jordan’s involvement and how he is attracting more Black and Brown fans to the sport.
Wallace: Trying Not To Get Caught Up In Lawsuit Proceedings
When asked, Wallace insisted he has not given much thought to the legal maneuverings. He even said he was unaware of a NASCAR announcement that came out late Friday afternoon, which showed all Cup team owners — with the exception of 23XI and FRM — remain in lockstep loyalty to NASCAR and the charter system.
In addition, NASCAR is seeking a summary judgment in the case, which would essentially bring the legal proceedings to an end, in NASCAR’s favor.
If that were to happen, it would likely mean the six combined charters that 23XI and FRM have would then be sold to other parties, meaning that either the two teams fold or would have to continue racing without charters or the benefits associated with having a charter.
“I focus on the things that I can control and let everything else sit on the background,” Wallace said. “(I) didn’t even know anything went on last night, so that just shows you, I guess, how out of tune I am, but focused, for me, on the more important things.”
