Bubba Wallace Breaks Silence After Being Let Down by Michael Jordan’s NASCAR Team Yet Again

With 21 exhilarating point races in the rearview mirror and just five more on the horizon, the NASCAR crowd flocked to Virginia for the Cook Out 400. Richmond Raceway bore witness to the pivotal 5th race, a prelude to the imminent playoffs. NASCAR fans were promised an electrifying showdown as drivers pushed their limits, determined to qualify for the playoffs, and that promise was more-or-less fulfilled.

Bubba Wallace emerged as one of the top drivers who put on quite an incredible show at Richmond. Engaging in a fierce contest for the last coveted playoff spots, Wallace is no stranger to this intense struggle, having narrowly missed the postseason in the past two years. Yet, 2023 has unveiled a promising vista for him, hinting at an imminent breakthrough. 

Wallace’s frustration mounts as 23XI’s high hopes slip through the window

But do not be fooled, this has been a roller coaster of a season for Bubba Wallace. As he put it, the action track has been filled with moments of “falling and bleeding, you’re trying to do everything you can, and it’s just tough.” Piloting the #23 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing around the 0.75 asphalt track, Bubba Wallace’s team persevered and managed to lead the race at one point. 

However, a crucial pitstop blunder cost them dearly, and they never regained the lead again. At the helm of 23XI Racing stands the iconic Hall of Fame basketball player, Michael Jordan, alongside Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Denny Hamlin, as a minority partner. The team boasts remarkable financial stability, as Wallace emphasized that they operate in the highest echelons of racing, with abundant resources and brilliant minds to fine-tune their setups to perfection “within a very small window.”

However, the #23XI driver’s Richmond dream died out prematurely. Showcasing his disappointment, the outcome left Bubba feeling let down by his team once more.

Talking to Racer, Bubba said, “It’s not really hard to pass; I was getting passed a lot. It’s just it gets harder. We’re at the Cup level. We’ve got multimillion dollars — billion dollars — all throughout this garage, and a lot of smart people, so we can get our setups within a very small window where that’s pretty good, and that’s when it gets hard.”

Read more: “There’s Really No Excuse for It” – Bubba Wallace Exposes the Biggest Problem With Michael Jordan’s Nascar Team

Bubba Wallace’s pit-stop doom continues

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The underperformance of Bubba’s pit stop crew isn’t new. Just last week in New Hampshire, persistent issues with brake dial and brake failure lulled the team’s overall performance as the #23 Toyota struggled to pit in the right lane. Last year, Nashville saw another case of pit crew farce. However, at that point in time, 23XI used to get their pit crew resources from JGR. The team President had then said,

“We get so much support from Joe Gibbs Racing, and this was one of the key areas that they really help us on. They’ve had problems on their cars, and there’ve been problems on pit lane with almost every team. It’s part of getting used to this (new Next Gen) car and the changes in it. We just have been unfortunately, with one team, the 23, a victim of more challenges than we all would have liked to have.”

Bubba, however, threw some tough words around. He tweeted,

Fast forward to the Sunday race, Bubba Wallace led comfortably during the 160-lap second stage of the race but faced a jack issue during his pit stop, dropping to fifth place. Unfortunately, he couldn’t recover as the car’s balance worsened, and finding the right line became difficult. 

“Just had a hiccup on a pit stop but just never rebounded. The balance went away. Man, it’s just hard. This place is tough finding the right line and the right balance, and we just fell off of it,” Wallace shared.

Adding to the doom, Kevin Harvick‘s slow restart hindered Wallace’s progress, leading to a 12th-place finish. “One of them here had the worst restart – [Kevin] Harvick – and held us up, unfortunately. It is what it is. We finished 12th.” Wallace added.

Watch This Story: Denny Hamlin Warns Bubba  Wallace To Watch Out Amid Creeping Playoff Desperation

Despite facing setbacks, Wallace was satisfied with the points earned and believed he had a good lead over the cutline. “We know Michigan is next week, so just have to learn from this one and build off of it and go into there.” However, it seems it will be a while before Bubba’s team can get ahead of the dark cloud that continues to linger!