The relief a driver experiences upon securing a seat for the Cup Series playoffs is unparalleled. For a select few like Denny Hamlin or Kyle Larson, it might be a given, considering their mastery of speed and dominance over the years. But for others, like Bubba Wallace, it is a blessing.
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Wallace is tremendously grateful for what he has achieved. The 23XI Racing driver put on a great display on Sunday to win the 2025 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The victory secured him a playoff spot with four rounds left in the regular season.
This is the first time that Wallace has made it to the postseason with such a comfortable cushion to fall back on. While speaking to Corey LaJoie on the Stacking Pennies podcast, Wallace mentioned how the last time he entered the playoffs (in 2023), he scraped through as the 16th driver.
Now, however, he is in a far more relaxed position. “I feel like we can make a really decent deep run if we put it all together. I don’t have to go into the playoffs with stress,” said Wallace.
“I would end Daytona, the year we made it, [with] ‘Ah, we made it. Oh, I got to go survive.’ As to where now the intensity is at zero, and then I have four weeks to enjoy vacation and have fun at the racetrack,” he added.
Wallace believes that, given the situation, he can perform better in the upcoming races without too much pressure. But he still wishes that this victory had come 20 races earlier in the season.
Wallace’s team and fans would be hoping that he doesn’t lose sight of how crucial it is to collect playoff points through the rest of the regular season.
Why Wallace must not relax much ahead of the playoffs
The importance of playoff points is best illustrated by looking back at Chase Elliott’s 2022 season. He had been crowned as the regular-season champion that year and was one of the favorites to win the title. But during the postseason, he faltered and failed to produce impressive results.
It was only thanks to the playoff points he racked up in the regular season that he survived each elimination round and reached the Championship 4.
Wallace is currently 11th on the points table with seven playoff points. The more points he secures over the next four races, the better his chances of reaching the Championship 4 will be. The 23XI driver needs to continue all guns blazing into this weekend and the next, till the job is done.
