Bubba Wallace will have to overcome a major obstacle if he hopes to win Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway.

Wallace lost control and spun during his qualifying lap Saturday, leaving the No. 23 team without a recorded time. As a result, the 23XI Racing driver will start from the rear of the field in Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400.

The incident comes just days after Kevin Harvick picked Wallace to win the race on his Happy Hour podcast. Harvick has been on a remarkable streak recently, correctly predicting four of the last five Cup Series winners.

After successfully calling victories by Shane van Gisbergen at Watkins Glen and Denny Hamlin at Dover, Nashville and Michigan, Harvick decided to go in a different direction for Pocono.

“I think I’m going to pick Bubba Wallace,” Harvick said. “I just think he had a lot better attitude this week, had a good finish, got a little momentum, he’s run well there.”

The pick surprised podcast co-host Kaitlyn Vincie, especially considering Hamlin’s track record at Pocono. Mamba Smith offered support for the selection, noting Wallace tends to perform better when he’s in a positive mindset.

“He’s way better,” Harvick said. “Happy Bubba, results in speed. It just seemed like he had a little bit more joy in his persona this week.”

Moreover, Wallace entered the weekend with some momentum after a solid performance at Michigan and plenty of optimism surrounding his chances at Pocono, a track where he has previously shown speed.

Now, however, the challenge becomes significantly tougher. Starting at the rear of the field at the 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle” means Wallace will have to work through traffic all afternoon while avoiding the chaos that often develops during restarts. 

Track position has traditionally played a major role at Pocono, making Saturday’s qualifying mishap even more costly. Still, Wallace and the No. 23 team have shown the ability to recover from adversity before.

If Harvick’s recent hot streak is any indication, Wallace may not be out of contention just yet. But after Saturday’s spin, the road to Victory Lane suddenly became much more difficult.

Fans will find out Sunday whether Wallace can turn a disappointing qualifying session into one of the biggest comeback stories of the season.