To say Bubba Wallace was disappointed at the end of Texas would be an understatement. The 23XI driver was in the lead of the race when it restarted for the last time. His winning the event seemed like a certainty at that point but while he was busy defending against Chase Briscoe on the top of the track, he was passed on the inside by William Byron and he could only manage a P3 finish.

While a lot of drivers would consider that to be a good result, for Bubba Wallace it was a lost chance to qualify for the round of 8. The 29-year-old now sits two points below the cutline and his chance of continuing in the playoffs seems to be in jeopardy yet again this season.

Despite failure, Bubba Wallace wins over NASCAR insider after defeating title favorite

Wallace has struggled in every stage of the Cup Series so far this year. He left it until the last race of the regular season to confirm his playoff spot and he did the same in the round of 16. For once, he and his fans might have hoped to get the hassle of qualifying before the final race of the round.

It’s no surprise that the 23XI Racing driver was as disappointed as he looked and sounded in the post-race interview. Wallace was distraught and no wonder why. It was a golden opportunity for him to finally get that all-elusive race win under his belt but he will have to wait a bit longer.

P3 is a good position to finish but it doesn’t help Wallace’s goal to qualify for the next round of the playoffs. According to NASCAR journalist Alan Cavanna, it was a huge missed opportunity for the 29-year-old to make his mark.

“As a driver, you will beat yourself up. That is a missed opportunity and frankly just sucks for him because he was in that position. Ifs, ands, or buts, if the final caution doesn’t come out, it’s like he drives away to the win right,” he said on an episode of PRN’s Fast Talk.

However, something that nobody can take away from the 23XI Racing driver is the fact that he was one of the best performers on the track. Wallace’s battle against the title favorite Kyle Larson was one of the highlights of the night and how he held his own against a former Cup Series champion was truly quite impressive.

“Kyle Larson had a 5-second lead in this race, Bubba had faded and all of a sudden at the end he’s right there at the end, probably one of the best performances I’ve ever seen of him on that restart on the outside against a better car,” Cavanna added.

Watch this story: Crushed Bubba Wallace Drops 2-Word Confession As Michael Jordan Loses Crown to Rick Hendrick

Bubba Wallace might be hard on himself for what went down at Texas but 23XI Racing boss Michael Jordan was full of praise for the 29-year-old who, in his eye, ran a good race without making any mistakes.

23XI Racing’s NBA legend showers praise on Wallace

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After the event in Texas, the NBA legend, reflecting on the positives the team could take away from the day, said, “They had a great weekend. Let’s not discount that. I mean, started on the pole, Bubba ran a really really good race in challenging conditions, managed the race. Really didn’t make any mistakes and could have gotten about the restart at the end, but I don’t think that’s a mistake per se. Just a really good overall, great day for this team.”

These words of praise from his boss, who is also one of the greatest athletes of all time, will definitely be a source of confidence for Bubba Wallace. The 23XI Racing driver has seen exceptional growth this season both on the track and off.

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He has matured as a driver and the results are there for everyone to see. However, if he wants to make it into the round of 8, the 29-year-old will have to deliver in the upcoming races at Talladega and Charlotte.