After Bubba Wallace Asked to Be Fired, Denny Hamlin Glad to Have a Championship-Worthy Driver in Tyler Reddick

Let’s just all agree that Bubba Wallace isn’t having the best of times on weekends in that #23 car. So far this season, Wallace has had three DNFs from six races, the latest of which came at Circuit of The Americas after he slammed into Kyle Larson and broke a toe-link in the rear of his racecar and an oil line.

The #23 driver is a self-proclaimed worst critic of himself, and he proved that once again after his race ended early this past weekend.

“Just trying my hardest not to go down that slippery slope of self-doubt right here. Two weeks in a row making rookie mistakes. Six years in the Cup. I need to be replaced,” Wallace had said in a post-race interview.

Following this, his team’s president, Steve Lauletta, shared an optimistic message for Bubba on Twitter, which should’ve given Wallace some support and confidence in himself.

At the same time, his boss Denny Hamlin made comments not only praising Wallace’s teammate Tyler Reddick for his win in the same race but also making a remark that might not be something Wallace wants to hear.

Denny Hamlin is more than happy with Tyler Reddick after his COTA win

In a post-race interview, Hamlin was asked about how validating Reddick’s win was considering the circumstances in which he was signed and then fast-tracked because of Kurt Busch’s premature retirement.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s why I went after him as early as I did. I wanted to get the jump on all the other teams because I knew he was going to be the most coveted free agent in a very, very long time,” Hamlin said about signing Reddick so early.

WATCH THIS STORY: Kyle Busch Expected “Learning Experience” at Richard Childress Racing Amidst Unexpected Win

“That’s why I got the jump on it. It cost me a lot of money to do it, but it pays dividends.”

The #11 driver then made a remark about Reddick’s potential and how 23XI Racing looks at him, which coupled with Wallace’s “need to be replaced” comments, make for an interesting situation.

Bubba Wallace may not be the driver 23XI is counting on to win them a championship

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After he claimed that signing Tyler Reddick has paid off, Denny Hamlin explained that for his team’s long-term vision, they have finally found their guy.

“You have to have that driver that you feel like can carry you to championships and wins for decades. I think we have that guy.

“It’s not going to stop at road courses. Dirt racing, short tracks, speedways, he’s got what it takes on every racetrack we go to.”

With that said, do you think Bubba Wallace’s 23XI tenure is coming to an end? And if so, who do you think would sign him whenever he is replaced by the Denny Hamlin–Michael Jordan-owned team?

Let us know in the comments below.

Also Read: “No Sense in Taking It From Him”: Kyle Busch Opens Up on Lead Battle With the Man He Replaced, Tyler Reddick