DARLINGTON, S.C. — A smiling Bubba Wallace stood on Darlington Raceway’s pit road feeling good following Sunday’s playoff opener. The vibes were shared by his 23XI Racing team, many of whom congratulated Wallace on a strong start to the playoffs. That included team co-owner Michael Jordan, who came over to offer Wallace a hug and some encouraging words.
On a night when several other title-eligible drivers experienced major issues, Wallace’s race wasn’t flawless, but he overcame his setbacks. His reward was a sixth-place finish, a result that was even better than the box score indicates because of what it represents.
This driver and team have a reputation for not always handling adversity well, but they rallied back after an issue on pit road. In contrast, many of the other playoff drivers were unable to do so on Sunday when faced with various challenges. And unlike Wallace, who is 25 points above the cutoff to advance to the next round, with two races remaining in this one, many of his competitors now need to manage the predicament they’re in with their points.
So, pardon Wallace if finishing sixth, in some respects, feels even more significant.
“I was telling myself, just realizing the big-picture moments every lap,” Wallace said. “Just don’t erase that gap that you have to your competitors; know when to race, know when to just kind of chill. All in all, a really, really good day.”
“Know when to race, know when to just kind of chill,” Wallace said of his performance in Sunday’s playoff opener. “All in all, a really, really good day.” (Logan Riely / Getty Images)
Things have changed significantly since Wallace last qualified for the playoffs.
In 2023, the 23XI Racing driver didn’t solidify his spot until the very last regular-season race, doing so via points accumulation and not by winning. That he was later eliminated in the second round was inconsequential; just making the playoffs was considered a big feat for someone who was still coming into his own
However, this year is different. Thanks to an impressive win at Indianapolis in late July, Wallace didn’t have the angst of being on the playoff bubble all the way to the conclusion of the regular season. That victory lifted an enormous weight off his shoulders, an experience he’s been relishing ever since. Gone were the questions of whether he’d make the playoffs. Instead, they were replaced by questions of how he had begun preparing for the playoffs.
Part of that preparation included focusing on ensuring that, when mistakes or misfortune do occur, it doesn’t snowball. This has been an area of focus for Charles Denike, who took over as Wallace’s crew chief this season. His impact has paid dividends with his attention to detail and approach proving key in fully unlocking Wallace’s potential.
In the past, when something went wrong, both Wallace and the team often compounded the problem by being unable to move forward. They’ve improved that with Sunday night offering a snapshot as to how.
Wallace was running solidly in the top five in Stage 1 when a mistimed exit from his pit stall nearly resulted in a collision with Zane Smith. Although there was no damage, Wallace was forced to back up, and because all of this occurred under green-flag conditions, he lost several valuable positions on the track.
In years past, Wallace would’ve likely come over the radio to express his frustration explicitly. He and the team would’ve let that mistake linger, dwelling on it throughout a race.
There was none of this on Sunday night. Beyond clarifying the issue so it wouldn’t happen again, neither Wallace nor the team said anything over the radio. What happened was over, and they quickly moved on. Then Wallace focused on rallying back, finishing the stage in fifth.
It might seem like a small thing — recovering stage position — but it encapsulates just how far the No. 23 team has progressed. Efficiently handling incidents like these proves to be the difference between a driver/team having playoff success and an early-round elimination.
“Something we’ve talked about all year is trying to compartmentalize those things, the good and the bad,” Denike said. “And know that one moment doesn’t need to define the whole rest of the race; we’ve got to resolve that one little moment and put it behind us and deal with whatever is left in front of us.
“Earlier today, we went back out 15th, but there’s seven or eight stints left in the race to still go, so we need to go 15th to 12th, get 12th to 10th, and 10th to eighth and just keep working your way forward.”
Underscoring Denike’s point, all one had to do was look at the number of playoff teams that failed to fulfill potential at Darlington. None of Hendrick Motorsports’ four drivers finished better than 17th; all of Team Penske’s three cars lacked race-winning speed; and several other drivers/teams had self-inflicted mistakes.
“Feels really good,” Denike said. “It’s good to be disappointed in a sixth when you feel like you’re capable of running better than that all night long. But with so many chances for things to get derailed, and we were able to get through all of them, it feels really good.”
Wallace entered the playoffs on the strength of the best regular season of his seven-year career. He has greater confidence in himself, as does the team in him, and now they’re consistently demonstrating a level of resolve they previously lacked. A potent combination that gives reason to think that Wallace may be embarking on a strong playoff run.
“Where Bubba’s made the biggest gains is understanding that this is a 500-mile race, not a 300 mile and understanding how to get to the finish and optimize his day,” 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin said. “When the cards don’t fall your way, you have to figure out how to get the best out of the day. And they did that.”
Could this new-look Wallace realistically contend for the championship?
“Oh, 100 percent, yeah,” he said after the race. “I think the way we executed and bounced back from our mistakes, no doubt.”
A sixth-place finish in the first playoff race ensures nothing. There are still two races within the round, then another three-race round after that, and another. All leading to a one-race championship finale.
However, the Darlington race was a strong start.
“We can’t get too far ahead,” Wallace said. “We’ll focus on (the next race), and we’ll have another flawless day, capitalize on others’ mistakes and see where we end.
“Our Toyotas are fast, so we don’t need to take that away by doing something stupid. So let everything kind of settle in place and have some fun.”
(Top photo of Bubba Wallace: Logan Riely / Getty Images)