Bubba Wallace ready to 'go to work' ahead of NASCAR Playoffs opener at Darlington
For the first time ever, Bubba Wallace is going racing in the NASCAR Playoffs and the 23XI Racing driver is ready to “go to work.” In the last two seasons, Wallace has won in the postseason. However, he was never part of the postseason picture. Now that changes and he is going to try to get a win that will propel him closer to the Championship 4 in Phoenix.
Ahead of today’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington, Bubba Wallace put out a hype video. It seems that there are a few drivers out there ready and raring to go. Kyle Larson had his own hype video ahead of the playoff race. Let’s not forget the spat between those two drivers a year ago around this same time.
Wallace is coming into the NASCAR Playoffs as the 16th driver out of 16. While he doesn’t feel like he’s that low, he has to prove it. That all begins tonight. This video will get all of your Bubba fans ready to “go to work” along with the 23 team.
Bubba Wallace has avoided those bad finishes over the last seven weeks. While he just has one top-10 in that time, he’s been consistent. By points racing, earning stage points, and being steady, he hasn’t had a finish worse than P18 since before New Hampshire.
Darlington and Kansas are two tracks that Bubba can race well at. He had top-5 finishes at the tracks earlier this season. Last year, he was the winner of the Kansas race in the playoffs. Comparing his recent results against other drivers below or near the cutline… Wallace might have the best chance to get a win in this round.
Bubba Wallace sees a path to the Championship 4
Even though he is at the bottom of the playoff standings, Bubba Wallace does have confidence. He’s been able to really turn his season around by just calming down and thinking more it seems. Those mistakes aren’t as often and when they do happen, they don’t derail his entire day.
If Wallace can maintain his consistency from the end of the regular season, but close out races stronger, he might have a shot to advance. He sees a path all the way to the championship in Phoenix.
“Well, if I don’t do anything dumb, I hope to be racing at Phoenix, right?” Wallace said during media days. “Don’t miss any weeks, no vacation. I think we are a lot better than 16th. I look at this first round, as one of the strongest of any of the top 16. Darlington, we ran fourth in the spring, Kansas, we know we can do Kansas. Bristol, Bristol we need a little more magic there, but top-10 car.”
Finishing races is what it will take to advance for Bubba Wallace and his team. If they earn stage points, that’s great. However, being in the top-10 or top-5 at the end is far more important than at lap 55 or whatever the stage break happens to be.