{"id":114444,"date":"2025-08-27T19:18:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T19:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/114444\/"},"modified":"2025-08-27T19:18:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T19:18:08","slug":"bubba-wallace-brings-new-zen-to-nascar-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/114444\/","title":{"rendered":"Bubba Wallace brings new zen to NASCAR Playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can Bubba Wallace<\/a> win over the next 10 weeks during the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs?<\/p>\n

Well, yes, but there is also a historic caveat.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely,\u201d Wallace said during Playoff Media Day in Uptown Charlotte on Wednesday. \u201cHell, I\u2019m good at winning in the Playoffs when I\u2019m not in the Playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s funny because Wallace has three career wins and the first two came in the Playoffs when he wasn\u2019t championship eligible at Talladega in October 2021 and Las Vegas in September 2022.<\/p>\n

A caveat to the caveat for the latter is that his car was playoff eligible that season and he very much raced as if he were a contender that fall.<\/p>\n

So while this is technically the second time Wallace has raced for a championship following his appearance in the 2023 chase for the championship, he also de facto had something to race for the year prior too.<\/p>\n

His third win came in the Brickyard 400 earlier in the summer and marked the first time he locked himself in before the final race of the regular season. Wallace and first-year crew chief Charles Denike have had all summer to prepare for this moment and that\u2019s a novel experience for the 31-year-old 23XI Racing<\/a> driver.<\/p>\n

\"Bubba <\/p>\n

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota<\/p>\n

Photo by: Justin Casterline \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cHell, I came off a 26-week stretch of stress and we made it in,\u201d Wallace said of 2023. \u201cWe were the last car in, right? You get Sunday to enjoy it but then you\u2019re back into, \u2018Alright, here\u2019s the Playoffs.\u2019 Now, I just came off a month-long, stress-free stretch. So, I think getting to experience that was really, really nice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said for a month that I didn\u2019t care. I didn\u2019t care if we won, if we wrecked, whatever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before anyone has a knee-jerk reaction, this doesn\u2019t mean that Wallace isn\u2019t invested. It\u2019s just part of his larger season-long transformation into a much more even-keeled father, racer and man in general.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cI care so much about racing that I can often get lost on where you\u2019re at and that causes problems,\u201d Wallace said. \u201cIt causes frustration, it causes speed loss, it causes everything. Richmond is a good example.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe show up for practice and we were awful and I thought \u2018well, Saturday is going to be a long day\u2019 and then we\u2019re leading. You know, I didn\u2019t write off Richmond but I kind of just changed the approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taking a step back and keeping focused<\/p>\n

Wallace lowered his expectations and was pleasantly surprised when all the pieces came together for a car capable of challenging for the win.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou take a step back sometimes, analyze things better, slow them down, process everything and then you\u2019re leading and have a dominant car,\u201d Wallace said. \u201cSo I just look at Richmond as a big, big highlight for me and the mentality side of it. Yeah, we have to have just 10 weeks of that \u2013 with all four tires.\u201d<\/p>\n

The joke there, you may recall, is that Wallace lost his chance to win that race at Richmond due to a loose wheel.<\/p>\n

Overall however, the point Wallace is trying to make is that he would have snapped in years past. He was prone to fits of anger and petulance. That hasn\u2019t been the case from the moment he showed up for Daytona Speedweek this year.<\/p>\n

Denike has done his part in transforming the No. 23 team into a force to be reckoned with and Wallace has upheld his end of the agreement to continue evolving into his best self.<\/p>\n

That was his point when asked about his biggest strength ahead of the playoffs. His mental skills. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou guys probably wouldn\u2019t give me that trait a couple of years ago,\u201d Wallace said. \u201cI feel good where I\u2019m at. I feel confident where I\u2019m at.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working with a new crew chief
\n \"Ryan <\/p>\n

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford, Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota, Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford<\/p>\n

Photo by: Samuel Corum \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

He still thinks he can be better at controlling his emotions in the \u2018heat of the moment\u2019 but he really believes there have been significant gains on that front and credits Denike for a lot of it too.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has really been a lot of fun to work with and I feel like we vibed and meshed really quick,\u201d Wallace said. \u201cHe has my back on a lot of scenarios and I appreciate that. Bootie (Barker, former crew chief) did as well, so none of that is going against Bootie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wallace and Denike agreed on one goal above all else entering the season and that was to have fun. The idea was, if they are having fun, it\u2019s because the results would match that enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he has adapted to that,\u201d Wallace said. \u201cFrom Truck to Cup is an incredible step but I try not to put too much on his plate. \u2026 I think that has helped me drive smarter and have better races and ultimately get back to victory lane. He is incredible at what he does. There is still a lot of room for us to grow, but I\u2019m excited for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that includes the immediate future and tracks that Wallace believes set up very well for a deep playoff run.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike I said, I look at the schedule and there\u2019s a lot of good tracks for us coming up,\u201d Wallace said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had speed at almost every track on the circuit for the next 10 weeks, so it just takes that little bit more. It takes beating out the 5 (Kyle Larson<\/a>), the 24 (William Byron<\/a>), the 11 (Denny Hamlin<\/a>). It takes beating the other 15 guys you\u2019re racing against to do that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have had the speed to do that. We\u2019ve got to clean up the execution and go capitalize on our speed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read Also:<\/p>\n

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