After both of their playoff drivers advanced out of the opening round, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace looked poised to be legitimate NASCAR Cup Series title contenders following an up-and-down regular season. It also did not hurt that fellow Toyota team Joe Gibbs Racing ran roughshod on the field by sweeping the first three races.<\/p>\n
It was a complete change of pace at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, however, as Team Penske once again reminded everyone that they are built for the playoffs<\/a>, regardless of their performance before the final 10-race stretch begins.<\/p>\n Ryan Blaney had the best car all weekend and became the first driver to lock himself into the round of 8<\/a>, with technical alliance driver Josh Berry of Wood Brothers Racing in second and Joey Logano in fourth after claiming the pole on Saturday.<\/p>\n Team Penske may have dominated, but it was the complete opposite for 23XI Racing, with Reddick finishing 21st and Wallace a lap down in 26th. As a result, both drivers find themselves at the bottom of the playoff field<\/a> and in search of a quick turnaround to salvage their seasons.<\/p>\n 23XI Racing laid an egg at the worst possible time<\/p>\n It likely would have been easier to process if one of their drivers experienced issues, but the fact that both of them struggled to find pace was concerning in a tight playoff field.<\/p>\n Reddick overshot his pit box during his final stop to compound his issues and Wallace battled through handling problems the entire race, which was even more surprising considering he led a career-high 73 laps<\/a> on a similar layout two weeks prior at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.<\/p>\n Kansas Speedway, the middle track in the round of 12, has been a good track for 23XI Racing in the past, as Reddick (fall 2023) and Wallace (fall 2022) have each won a race there.<\/p>\n