Denny Hamlin Tells Bubba Wallace It is High Time He Starts Winning Races, Admits Underperformance from the Team

23XI Racing delivered a strong showing last season, with Tyler Reddick capturing the regular-season title and closing the year in fourth overall, powered by three race victories. While Bubba Wallace missed out on a playoff berth, he showed pace, notching five top-five finishes. This year, however, Reddick has only secured three top-fives and two additional top-ten results, while Wallace has edged ahead with three top-fives and one more top-ten result than his teammate.

Riley Herbst, still navigating his rookie full-time Cup campaign, has received some grace from team co-owner Denny Hamlin. However, Hamlin has delivered a pointed message to both seasoned drivers, particularly Wallace, who has not found Victory Lane since Kansas in 2022.

Addressing Wallace’s form during the Atlanta media briefing, Hamlin remarked, “I just know the resources that we’ve put in at 23XI, and all of our driver[s] should win. That is the expectation that I have of them.”

He added, “Obviously, it is a result-based business, and if you don’t over time, you consider your options. Overall, I’ve seen enough progression, specifically, from the #23 standpoint, that I can see where this can go.”

While Hamlin credited Wallace’s playoff qualification via points in 2023, he emphasized that winning remains the gold standard. “Obviously, putting himself in a Playoff position year after year is good, but winning makes it better. It makes it good for the team; it makes it good for your sponsorships. The progression is smaller, but it is still happening with Riley (Herbst) as well.”

From an ownership lens, Hamlin acknowledged gradual gains but reaffirmed his belief that every 23XI car should reach Victory Lane. He believes there are just too many resources and too many good people over there. And hence there’s no reason for them not to win more races. “I think we’ve underperformed as far as actual winning this year. We expect more, but a lot of it — I think we carry that burden,” he stated plainly.

Hamlin also addressed Wallace’s misfortune at Pocono, where a mechanical failure prevented him from even attempting a qualifying lap. “I don’t think you can get too panicked about it, you can’t change it. If you are Bubba Wallace, it’s not something you did,” he stated.

Forced to start at the tail of the field in 34th, Wallace’s day unraveled further with a brake rotor issue and subsequent right-front tire failure on Lap 56, ending his run in 36th after a hard crash.

Despite having failed to finish one-third of the season’s races so far, Wallace remains 12th in the standings. Hamlin pointed to that statistic as evidence of the #23 team’s resilience and remained confident that Wallace has what it takes to rebound swiftly.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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