Bubba Wallace will need to do something at Darlington Raceway that he hasn’t managed to achieve all season. Win a race!

After finishing sixth at the Coke Zero Sugar 400, the No. 23 driver is 21 points below the playoff cutline with just one regular series race remaining. Lady Luck hasn’t been on Wallace’s side all season, with three DNFs and a one-stage win summing up his performances across 25 races.

However, Denny Hamlin isn’t giving up on his driver just yet. Even though the odds might be stacked against him, the 23XI Racing co-owner remains optimistic that Bubba Wallace could pull off a surprise at the Cook Out Southern 500 and secure a spot in the postseason.

Denny Hamlin expresses backing for Bubba Wallace

Heading into the race at Daytona International Speedway, Bubba Wallace would have hoped to either secure a victory in the penultimate race of the regular season or a driver who is already locked into the playoffs make it into Victory Lane. Neither situation took place, with Harrison Burton sealing an unlikely victory after overtaking Kyle Busch in the final lap. Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota showed a lightning-fast pace at the 2.950-mile track, but despite leading 16 laps, the Alabama native fell victim to the multi-car collision on Lap 151, forcing him to settle for sixth place.

Speaking on the Actions Detrimental podcast about Bubba Wallace’s playoff hopes, Denny Hamlin was asked if the 23XI Racing driver would be able to make up the 21-point deficit on Chris Buscher to secure a spot in the playoffs. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver candidly replied, “Which is possible? I’m going to believe that he will. We’ve seen the Southern 500 for whatever reason, it has some attrition.

“If you look at the results, there’s four or five cars that were running up front that have bad days and it can happen to anyone. I mean, my last two months with the results, it can happen. I wouldn’t hold out hope against Bubba going out there and just having a great day. If he goes out there and he can get the top three in each stage, and finish in the top three, I think they put a tremendous amount of pressure on others to go out there and not have a bad day.”

If there’s any driver who can get a result at Darlington Raceway, it’s Bubba Wallace. The 30-year-old has performed well on the track in the last few years, finishing 7th last year, and ninth in 2022. With four consecutive top-10 results at the ‘Lady in Black,’ all he needs to do is one step further and cross the checkered flag first. Easier said than done, right? Momentum certainly seems to be on Wallace’s side, as he has finished lower than sixth in just one out of the last four races.

A lot is riding on the final race of the regular season before playoffs begin at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Wallace will hope for a miracle to sneak his way into the postseason, and with Denny Hamlin showing faith in his driver’s ability, it will go a long way in improving his confidence. With Tyler Reddick significantly outperforming his 23XI Racing teammate as well as boss Denny Hamlin, Wallace hasn’t had an easy time living under his teammate’s shadow. However, victory at Darlington could ease some of that pressure if he qualifies for the postseason.

Wallace holds himself accountable after falling short at Daytona

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The comparisons were inevitable. Tyler Reddick is currently leading the driver standings with 823 points, having secured wins at Talladega Superspeedway and Michigan International Speedway earlier this year. A stark contrast to Bubba Wallace, who is 13 spots behind with no victory since Kansas Speedway in 2022.

Both drivers are on the same team, racing with the same equipment, yet one is the favorite to clinch a Cup Series championship, while the other is unlikely to make it to the playoffs. Naturally, this has put Wallace under pressure to perform, with NASCAR being a notoriously result-oriented industry with cut-throat competition for seats.

Speaking after the race at Daytona International Speedway, Bubba Wallace drew comparisons with his teammate, “Got one car fighting for a regular season championship and another on the bubble. It’s unacceptable. I’ll take all that weight on my shoulders. I should’ve won multiple times, and I haven’t. We don’t even deserve to be here, and we aren’t. Gotta go win, that’s it.”

The Alabama native knows that if there was ever a time to prove himself, it’s now. He may have made it to the Round of 16 through points in 2023, but nothing short of a victory would suffice this time around. The 30-year-old has a lot riding on the Cook Out Southern 500, but it remains to be seen if he rises to the occasion to perform when it matters to crumble under pressure.

What are your thoughts about Bubba Wallace’s chances of making it to the playoffs? Let us know in the comments!