The rules of getting into the playoffs in NASCAR are simple. Either win a race during the season or have enough points to make it into the 16-driver cutoff. One driver who has been the talk of town with the belief that he will miss out on his chance into the playoffs is Bubba Wallace. The 23XI Racing driver was behind the cutoff line in terms of points and, with no race wins yet, he had a lot of catching up to do.

That was only until the Brickyard 400 race, where he secured a P5 finish, which helped him score the much-needed points to get closer to the playoffs. He has still not secured a place in the top 16 drivers of the season, but he is now closer than ever. After a DNF at New Hampshire, the next few races, including Nashville, Chicago, Pocono, and Indianapolis were important races for the driver and he made sure to make the most of it. Following the Brickyard 400, Bubba Wallace came forward to share what exactly motivates him to stay on track and did not shy away from taunting the naysayers.

Bubba Wallace looking to prove the critics wrong

After New Hampshire, Bubba Wallace has had three top-10 finishes in the last four races. This has really helped him push closer to getting into the playoffs. Bubba Wallace is currently seven points behind Ross Chastain, who holds the 16th and final playoff spot. Wallace is directly competing with him and Chris Buescher, who is in the 15th spot and only 17 points above the elimination line.

After having a Top 5 finish at Brickyard 400, Wallace came forward to share what exactly motivates him. Being an underdog in this season, Wallace believes, “We thrive off counting us out.” He then shared exactly what gets him out of bed in the morning as he explained, “You thought we’d be out in the first round last year, didn’t you? We didn’t do that, either. Just keep on fighting; prove y’all wrong.”

Despite running low on fuel in the final laps at Indy, Wallace managed to finish the race under caution, just as his car began to run dry. Kyle Larson took the win, followed by Tyler Reddick, Wallace’s teammate in the No. 45 Toyota, who is already well into the playoffs.

For Wallace to make it into the playoffs, he will have to focus and try to score the best result possible after the break. We know that the car has pace, as Tyler Reddick has been performing extremely well. It’s only about time that Bubba Wallace also pulls up his socks and contributes to the team’s results.

Wallace led 26 laps and won Stage 2, adding 10 points to his haul. His advances in the standings were further aided by Chastain’s 15th-place finish and Chris Buescher’s 22nd-place result, placing Buescher 17 points above the elimination line in the 15th spot. However, before making it into the top 5 at Indianapolis, the 23XI Racing driver was called out for his controversies that stemmed from last year.

Bubba Wallace’s say on Aric Almirola’s suspension

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Aric Almirola has found his way back onto the grid after being suspended from the team for having a physical altercation with Wallace. Almirola has chosen not to discuss the specifics of his altercation with Bubba Wallace that occurred last year in late May. Ultimately, it was Almirola who was found to be the instigator of the altercation, which led him to get suspended from his team.

The incident took place during a Toyota drivers’ meeting before the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Both the drivers shared their minds last year; however, when Almirola got back on the grid at Brickyard 400, the media was curious to know how Wallace felt about the incident.

When asked about last year, Wallace calmly replied, “They don’t want me to get into details to keep some people’s images good. I think I said enough at Charlotte last year, so all in all, life is good for me.” So it’s not only Wallace’s decision to not comment on the situation, as he is under the orders of his team. We hope that Wallace lets bygones be bygones and continues to focus on making it into the playoffs.

With that said, do you think Bubba Wallace will find his way to the playoffs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.