Bubba Wallace has drastically turned his fortunes around. A fifth-place finish in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was just the type of result the 23XI Racing driver needed to bolster his playoff hopes. There are only four races left before the post-season begins in Atlanta, and Bubba Wallace couldn’t have found a better time to not just get a top-five result but also his first stage win in a decade.

With drivers ready to enjoy a two-week break because of the Olympics, Bubba Wallace is looking to get some well-earned rest and, of course, a celebration at the 23XI HQ before the playoff battle resumes at Richmond Raceway.

Bubba Wallace is closing in on the playoff bubble

Bubba Wallace entered the Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway 27 points behind the playoff cutline. However, his fourth top-five result of the season means that the 30-year-old is breathing down Ross Chastain’s neck, having reduced that deficit to just 7 points. Chastain, who is in the 16th and final playoff spot, is now seriously at risk of placing in the post-season, having finished 15th at the Brickyard 400. Not only did he lose 10 points because of his finishing position, but no stage wins meant he lost another 10 points.

Speaking to NBC Sports after the race, an elated Bubba Wallace said, “The team stuck with me, gave me all the right tools to work on, and gave us track positions. Finally got us a stage win. It’s been 10 years since I got one of those. All-in-all, just a solid day. Definitely what we needed. Can have a big sigh of relief going into the Olympic break. Excited to watch that.”

Further giving out some more details on their summer Olympic break schedule, Wallace said, “Reddick getting married will be there for that. Suarez getting married, so congrats to them. It’s just nice to come out here with a smile, enjoy the two off weeks. Get to go home and see my pregnant wife. Give her a big hug, big baby boy a big hug. Just to have fun. That’s what I wanted to do last week and continue that for the next, what do we got, 14 left? All about having fun.”

With Bubba Wallace closing in on Ross Chastain, the reality he faces is that a win won’t be necessary for the 23XI Racing driver to make it into the playoffs if he maintains this consistency. With three top-10 finishes in the last four races, Wallace has performed when he was expected to, giving him a realistic chance at the playoffs once again. The result in Indianapolis not only helped him gain 20 points on Ross Chastain but also 27 points on Chris Buescher and 25 points on Ty Gibbs, all of whom are vying for a playoff spot as well.

As things stand, Chris Buescher’s 22nd-place finish at the Brickyard 400 means he is 17 points above the playoff cutline, while Ty Gibbs earned three playoff points after finishing 8th at the end of Stage 1. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 23rd place and is currently 43 points above the playoff cutline. Just like Pocono, the weekend in Indianapolis went in Bubba Wallace’s favor, and he will pray Lady Luck is on his side when NASCAR resumes after the Olympic break.

Could Wallace secure a win this season?

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With four races remaining before the playoffs begin, the playoff battle is well and truly heating up. Bubba Wallace made it into the playoffs for the first time in his career due to points in 2023, and consistent performances in the past month are pointing towards a similar trajectory. However, with no wins in 22 races, despite some very strong finishes, it’s only natural to wonder if Bubba Wallace could secure a win before the playoffs begin in Atlanta.

“I’m quite tired of having to do it on points,” confessed Bubba Wallace. The 30-year-old made it to the playoffs in 2023 through points, and history seems to repeat itself this season.

Speaking about the playoffs on the Actions Detrimental podcast, 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin said, “So it’s pretty much Bubba, Chastain, Buescher, or the three that are. Buescher having a little bit more of a gap there. But still, all it takes is one win at Daytona, and that cut line moves, and next thing you know, Gibbs is back in the question of making the playoffs, and you’re like wow. We’ve seen it. It’s all been possible.”

Understandably, Denny Hamlin has pointed to Daytona as the track where Bubba Wallace could secure his first win of the season. Superspeedways have always been Wallace’s wildcard, and his record at Daytona International Speedway is great, with Wallace averaging his second-highest average finish on the track.

With six top-five results in the last 14 races he has run on the track, Bubba Wallace has an average finish of 12.4 at Daytona, a stark improvement over his 16.318 average finish this season. If Bubba Wallace has a shot at winning a race this season, Daytona International Speedway is the track where he can get it.

Moreover, Wallace’s teammate Tyler Reddick has won his only race of the season at Talladega Superspeedway. With both drivers racing on an identical setup, Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin are more than happy!

Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota Camry has already proven that the car has what it takes to perform on Superspeedways. It’s only a matter of Bubba Wallace taking the opportunity at Daytona and shutting down the talk about playoff qualification once and for all.

Do you think Bubba Wallace will make it to the playoffs? Let us know in the comments!