Had Harrison Burton not won at the Daytona International Speedway, Bubba Wallace would have been in the playoff bubble. He did exactly what he was supposed to, gain enough points on the drivers he was competing against to be inside the top 16. Chris Buescher had a better day but the #23 driver was good enough to not fall too far behind and was ahead of Ross Chastain. Now, only one race remains for Wallace to get into the playoffs, but his team owner still has a lot of faith in him.
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Michael Jordan might not have a motorsports background but he is involved with the team as much as anyone else. The NBA legend texted Wallace after his Daytona disappointment, “Things you want more cost more.” The 23XI Racing driver revealed that it helped him get in a better mindset before the final regular season race of the year. Wallace was frustrated after last weekend’s race, primarily because he was not able to win the race despite running quite well in the last few weeks.
“If there wasn’t a new winner, then yeah. Where we fell short of is that we weren’t the new winner. So that’s what I was frustrated about the most. Just wasn’t able to work that out in our favor, but MJ is usually texting me right after every race with, ‘Good job,’ or whatever it may be. So he’s very much involved,” the 30-year-old revealed in a recent media interaction.
Another factor contributing to his frustrations could be his teammate Tyler Reddick. Reddick has won two races so far this season and leads the field in the regular season championship. Despite being in equal machinery, the #23 driver has not even come close to the standards set by his teammate. That would make any driver feel angry and disappointed with themselves.
23XI Racing star confident of winning at Darlington
Before the final regular season race last year, Wallace was in the playoff bubble but there was no uncertainty that he would make it. He was a nervous wreck before the race and did not speak to any media personnel. The 30-year-old seems more relaxed this time around. The Southern 500 is a tough race to win but the 23XI driver has expressed confidence in his ability and his team to go out there and get the job done.
“I need to portray the best race that I’ve ever had in my career to make the playoffs. And I don’t say that from a desperation mode. I say it as I’m confident in our team and our ability, as long as all the outside factors execute — an example, pit crew and strategy — then there’s no reason why we can’t be in Victory Lane at Darlington on Sunday,” he said.
It’s funny how this situation has changed his equation with Chris Buescher from last season. Wallace was overjoyed when he learned that the RFK Racing star had won at Daytona since it meant he was in the playoffs. Now, Buescher is the man the 23XI driver is trying to replace in the top 16.
