Bubba Wallace explains gameplan to make the playoffs at Darlington starting from pole

Bubba Wallace is ready to make a huge statement when he competes in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway tonight. While speaking to NBC Sports before the race, Wallace explained his gameplan to win and clinch a playoff spot.

“We’ve been really good here at qualifying, executing. Obviously, the finish is a follow with that. Just need to keep it all in check tonight, make the most of it and go out and have some fun,” Wallace said.

CLICK HERE to go to PrizePicks and use code ON3 to receive a guaranteed $50 once you play $5 in lineups!

The comments come after Wallace won pole for the Southern 500 on Saturday, giving him a good chance to win his first race since 2022. He knows it’s going to be challenging because he’s not the only one fighting for a playoff spot.

“I wanted to show up and make a statement and flip the pressure switch to the enemies,” Wallace explained. “I think that’s what we did, but we also know it’s a new day, it’s a new opportunity for everybody in the field. For me, I wake up excited every Sunday morning because I know one of us is going to be in victory lane. Hopefully, it’s us tonight.”

Bubba Wallace knows ‘anything can happen’ at Darlington

Wallace enters Darlington with momentum, finishing in the top 10 in four of the last five races. After winning pole on Saturday, the Alabama native spoke to reporters about how tonight’s race can be unpredictable.

“Anything can happen,” Wallace told Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “We’ve seen — look at last week, right. Anything can happen, so we have to run our own race. It makes it a lot easier for us having that first pit stall. As long as we execute and make the right calls, do good on pit road — all I want is for every single person apart of this team, including myself, to go to bed tomorrow night saying, ‘We did whatever we could. We did all we could and maybe it was good enough, maybe it wasn’t.’ That’s the lottery ticket we’ll find out tomorrow after the race.”

Last year, Wallace finished seventh in the Southern 500. Darlington has been a good track for the 23 car, finishing in the top 10 in the last four races, including a P5 finish at the spring race last year.