The 2024 season hasn’t been the best for Bubba Wallace, as he is currently facing a shock exit from the playoffs while his teammate Tyler Reddick is in the running for the regular season championship. He is currently P17 in the championship and he now have either win the Southern 500 or massively outperform his rivals to make it into the last-16.
His situation was worsened by the fact that Harrison Burton secured a win at Daytona and a playoff berth. Bubba Wallace shared his feelings about his current state after Daytona in his latest appearance in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, the Dale Jr. Download. He admitted that he was bummed and frustrated after coming out of Daytona.
I think I looked at the schedule a week before the off weekend and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s Darlington this time. I thought it was Daytona the whole time.’ So, there’s two sides of it coming out of Daytona. You’re bummed, you’re pissed off, not really pissed off but you’re frustrated you’re not in.Bubba Wallace said via Dale Jr. Download.
He pointed out that he did what he has to do on Sunday by outracing Ross Chastain, and even secured a six points cushion. But Burton winning the race just made everything almost in significant. He further pointed out that he wasn’t in the best moods even when he was getting ready for the Southern 500 weekend at 23XI race-shop.
You did what you were supposed to do, we outraced the 1 car [Chastain], and we have a six-point cushion to him. But we had a new winner. So, it’s like the goalposts moved again. I had Sunday to be down and figure out is it gonna work, is it not gonna work? I had Monday to — being at the shop brought all the competitive juices but you’re not ready for it, so I wasn’t in the best of moods yesterday.Bubba Wallace added.
Going for the win cost Bubba Wallace points at Daytona
While talking about his Coke Zero Sugar 400 run, Bubba Wallace highlighted how their strategy ended up costing him. He pointed out that his team having fast car went all in for the win and in the process, sacrificed their stage points. This ended up biting them back once the race ended after the failed to win the event.
So, can’t really blame that on our strategy piece because we were doing everything to set us up for the win and that’s all you can ask for. Moving forward that’s just what you’ve got to focus on is if you’re a fifth, tenth place car maybe you stay out and get points. But just knowing there by the end it’s going to be hard to make up that track position because you’re not flipping stages. Because it’s all circumstantial.Bubba Wallace said.
The 23XI driver has to pull of one of his best performances ever in this coming Sundays race at Martinsville. If he failed to secure the much-needed win, he would have to secure one or two win the last 10 races to redeem himself.
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