Bubba Wallace did not have a great season in 2024. He failed to qualify for the playoffs and ended the year in a disappointing 18th place. Ahead of the 2025 Daytona 500, 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin spoke to the press about how Wallace can improve himself and become a driver worthy of the No. 23 seat.
Advertisement
Hamlin noted that Wallace has had stretches of 10 or 12 races where he has consistently been a contender for the win. But none of these stretches ever last throughout a season. They have to if Wallace wants to be champion someday. It is only when the last 10 races of the regular season come by that Wallace and his team get on their feet to perform intently.
Hamlin wants this pattern to change. He said, “It is unfortunate because what has happened is a panic in the last 10 races before the playoffs start — oh my gosh, we’ve got to get more points — if we would have started that process earlier, we wouldn’t have been in a panic. I think it is for Bubba that every race is very important.”
“I fought it for most of my career,” he admitted and said that he has struggled with slow starts for a large part of his career. He also pointed out that Tony Stewart used to be the same way. He would wait for the summer months to kick in before picking up his performances and going to battle. Formats and times have changed.
Drivers have to be solid from the onset to matter now unless they are someone like Kyle Larson, who can win on any given weekend. In the first three races of the season, Wallace has secured only one top-10 finish. It came in Atlanta, where he finished in ninth place. It is about time he brought in better results.
Has fatherhood changed Bubba Wallace?
Wallace married Amanda Carter in 2022 and welcomed their first child, a son, in 2024. His teammate Tyler Reddick has since noted that his character has changed a lot.
Reddick recently said, “Fatherhood will change you in ways you don’t expect. I think he’s got a good approach right now, and am excited to see how he continues to grow and change at being a dad and how that affects racing for him. He seems like he’s in a good place right now.”
The #45 driver is quite the authority to speak on this, considering he is the father of a young boy, Beau.
Moving forward, the next Cup Series race will be at the Phoenix Raceway this Sunday. It is an opportunity for Wallace to prove that he has not lost out on his ability to reach Victory Lane.
