By virtue of his win last month in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, Bubba Wallace is already securely in the upcoming NASCAR Cup playoffs. But his hope for enhanced momentum, not to mention obtaining additional playoff points, heading into the 10-race postseason rolled away in Saturday night’s race at Richmond Raceway.
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In the penultimate race for the regular season championship, Wallace was dominating, having led 123 laps, the most he’s ever led in a single Cup race, until a disastrous pit stop late in Stage 2 when the left-front tire on his 23XI Racing Toyota wasn’t secured and fell off as he pulled away from his stall.
WHAT A DISASTROUS PIT STOP FOR BUBBA WALLACE AND THE #23 CREW…@AlwaysRaceDay pic.twitter.com/fd0eRuTrT8
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) August 17, 2025
While the incident ended Wallace’s hope of winning on the 0.750-mile bullring, there was one encouraging sign as the pit crew of Joe Gibbs Racing’s and fellow Toyota driver Chase Briscoe came to Wallace’s aid, grabbing the loose tire, jacked up the car and securely affixed it, allowing Wallace to get back into the race.
On NASCAR’s X account, there was a very poignant message to Wallace and his team thanks to the help from Briscoe’s crew: “The No. 23 team owes the No. 19 team a steak dinner for this.”
Unfortunately, the driver of the No. 23 Toyota was too far back to rally in the final stage of the race, ultimately finishing 28th instead of potentially winning his career’s fourth Cup race had it not been for the tire error.
And as if to add insult to injury, although it is due to the NASCAR rulebook, Wallace also suffered a pass-through penalty due to pitting outside his pit box and for winding up in Briscoe’s pit box.
