Amanda Wallace Endures a Grueling Ordeal as Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin Experience Opposites Amid Joe Gibbs Skirmish

The 2023 NASCAR playoffs got off to a flying start at the Darlington Raceway on Sunday. Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson dominated the race, leaving his competitors in the dust to collect his win. In what was an unforgettable playoff debut for 23XI Racing star Bubba Wallace, he finished in the top 10 after recovering from an early spin, thanks to efficient pit stops. Conversely, for his team co-owner and fellow contender, Denny Hamlin, fortunes with his own pit crew weren’t as favorable.

While the 367-lap race was definitely eventful, stage 1 of the race ran green for the most part. For some, including Bubba Wallace’s wife, Amanda, this made the race experience a drag. But that would’ve been only until Bubba spun at the end of the stage.

Bubba Wallace’s wife expresses frustration with his debut playoff race

Despite racing in the top tier of NASCAR since 2017, Bubba Wallace had never made it past the regular season until this year. The driver hung on the edge of the cutoff line until the regular season culmination at Daytona, where he was able to finally push in and cement his place in the final 16. With the racing world keen on his first playoff race at Darlington, he entered the track from the 19th qualifying spot.

As the driver did his best to race ahead of the crowd under normal conditions, his wife took to her Instagram handle to express her views on the happenings. Posted from the stands above the pitstop camp, her story read,

“Dang, this is a long race. Not even to the end of stage 1”. 

But the race quickly came to contrast her momentary reality with a lapse as Bubba Wallace and his team found trouble on the pit road and the track. During the 2nd pitstop of the race, the 23XI pit crew’s air hose got caught in front of his car.

Recovering from it, he raced on, only to go into a spin at the end of stage 1. Elsewhere, at the forefront of the crowd, his team owner Denny Hamlin finished the race at P1, dominating things. But that’s where things took a turn.

Watch Story: Bubba Wallace’s Crew Chief Blames Chase Elliott for Playoff Distress

Denny Hamlin vs. Bubba Wallace: Two sides of the pit crew coin

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Getting back from the spin involving former champion Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace was able to gain multiple stops, thanks to brilliant strategies from his crew chief Bootie Barker at the end of stage 2. He managed to break into the top 10 from a bad start and stayed put till the race’s end.

On the other hand, the race started on a very positive note for the Joe Gibbs Racing star, Denny Hamlin. As he shot forward with the goal of winning his third 2023 Cup Series race at Darlington, he was forced to make a pit stop owing to a loose wheel. As a result, he fell behind to the 30th spot, finishing his race at a disappointing P25. As crew chief Chris Gabehart confirmed that none of Denny’s wheels were loose, the pitstop that robbed him of his chances appeared to have been for nothing.

In the aftermath of the race, Denny said, “It’s really tough to tell. It looked like the left rear was still tightening as we were gone. It’s close enough to where it didn’t matter. What I felt, I was gonna crash if I kept going. I had to bring it in and just turned the day upside down.”

With uncertainties that plagued his contract negotiations with Joe Gibbs Racing, this loss will be an added weight for the driver. The race ended with Bubba Wallace in P7 and Denny Hamlin in P25. While both faced issues that were not in their hands to avoid, the efficiencies of their pit crews are what decided the results at the end of the day. As for Amanda Wallace, despite her initial story, she’d given props to the 23XI Racing in a consecutive story that read, “Two stops already before stage 1, spotlight on this pit crews tonight.” 

Read More: Despite Shutting Down Haters, Dejected Bubba Wallace Claims He “Should Have Tried to Get Too Much”