NASCAR’s regular-season finale is almost here, and so is Bubba Wallace’s last chance to seal his payoff entry. It is not easy to keep emotions aside at this point, but all the bubble drivers are doing just that. It is time to build a functional strategy that can get sure-shot results. Going in blind will not help at Darlington Raceway.

For Wallace, the strategy is clear: it’s either stage points or the race wins. He believes Darlington is not the kind of race track where you can have both. And that presents a choice for the team depending upon the car it has.

What is Bubba Wallace’s strategy for Darlington?

Being one of the most consistent drivers for three seasons, Bubba Wallace is keen to make it into the playoffs again. He could get a good points buffer over Daniel Suarez in 2023 in the regular season finale. He would need the same this year through stage points, or an absolute race win. But he needs to decide that before going to the race.

Wallace is sure he can make the cut either way. Yet, he just needs a go for either one. There’s a development in NASCAR owing to the new-gen cars where drivers have to control their pace to preserve fuel and save time on refueling. And while Wallace isn’t a fan of having to do that, he says, “If that’s going to put you in a spot to win, then you do it.”

All those strategies dictate the race results, which are pre-decided in the weekly team meetings. In Wallace’s words, “Getting the ball rolling and getting the juices flowing on Wednesday is so we’re not, you know, ‘caught with her pants down’ as they say when that time comes around.”

He has a clear mind about what needs to be done in the upcoming race at Darlington Raceway. “You can go for points, you can go for win because the passing is at a low there, right? And I said ‘It’s simple. If you gave me the car that we had 2 years ago in Michigan, then we’re going to go for the win,” admits Wallace. He had a really fast car before the Michigan race in 2022, where he qualified for the pole and had a runner-up finish.