“I’d Be Ready to Punch Something”: Bubba Wallace Confesses Immaturities of Past After Making Peace With Unlucky Playoff Heartbreak

One of the drivers who pulled much above his perceived weight in 2023 was Bubba Wallace. Driving the #23 Camry for 23XI Racing, the performances that Wallace put in were impressive, to say the least. In what was his first playoff appearance, Wallace managed to make it to the final race of the round of 12 in Charlotte. Unfortunately, that’s where his championship dream ended.

Despite the strong run that he displayed at the Roval, it wasn’t enough to guarantee him a seat in the next stage. However, in a positive light, the driver appears to have evolved into someone mature enough to not take the result devastatingly hard on himself.

Wallace’s range of improvement isn’t limited to his road course expertise

There weren’t a lot of expectations from the #23 driver heading to the Roval. He had missed out on a fantastic opportunity for the win at Texas and failed to show up with winning speed at Talladega. His past performances on road courses did not exactly scream “favorite” either. Regardless of the surrounding doubt, the stats showed that Wallace was continually improving on road course tracks. His race at Charlotte reflected the results of his hard work. Though it wasn’t enough to give him a spot in the Round of 8, the P16 finish said a lot.

Voicing his happiness with the journey that his team had endured, he said, “We weren’t supposed to be here, according to a lot of people. But we proved them wrong and proved a lot of people in the garage wrong that you can’t really count on the 23 in a road course race, right? That’s cool to say.”

Talking to journalist Matt Weaver, Wallace was also proud of the person that he’d become from when he was a teenager. About being able to handle his emotions well, he said, “Ten years ago, I’d be ready to punch something. I guess that’s maturing and growing up … and accepting the fate – it wasn’t meant to be.”

Though the #23 team of 23XI Racing did not make it farther in the contest, they are miles ahead of where they were in previous seasons. However, for Wallace, one of the reasons for the elimination was the car that 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan had given him.

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Did Michael Jordan not give Bubba Wallace a car capable of winning the championship?

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Toyotas have been amongst the fastest cars on the grid this year. The carmaker has been expanding its presence with the hopes of dominating Chevrolet and Ford in the years to come. As a paradigm shift could be in the making, Wallace claimed that his #23 car wasn’t a “winning car” yet. Despite the opinion, Jordan was found speaking and cheering the positive season with his driver and crew chief after the race.

Wallace might not have made it to Phoenix in contention for the Championship title, but this, by far, will be his best learning experience. Moving forward, it is a certainty that he will be putting the experience to good use. The season isn’t over yet and it will be intriguing to see how Wallace responds on the track after his elimination. Talking to the media, he said,

“I’m really excited for next week and Homestead and Martinsville. Phoenix, eh, I might just go on vacation. But we’ve still got four races to go out and do it.” The first of his next four races will begin in just a few hours. Wallace will be starting P7 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Read More: 2023 is Bubba Wallace’s Best Season Till Date, and Here’s Why