NASCAR Insider Reveals Bubba Wallace Took Advantage of Chase Elliott’s Loss

The 2023 Cup Series has unfurled a tapestry of contrasting fortunes for Hendrick Motorsports. While William Byron and Kyle Larson ride the crest of the playoff standings wave, their teammates, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman, find themselves in the precarious position of just below the playoff edge.

Conversely, the nascent NASCAR Cup Series team, 23XI, has charted an impressive course. Both their stalwarts, Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, comfortably anchor spots 14 and 12 in the playoffs. However, one NASCAR source has speculated that the tactical acumen that helped Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s racing team succeed may have been to the detriment of Hendrick Motorsports’ racers.

NASCAR insider discloses how 23XI Racing seized opportunities from Chase Elliott’s hurdles

Tyler Reddick, thanks to his triumph at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), has clinched the P12 in the playoff standings. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace dances on the razor’s edge of the standings table, claiming the 16th slot. Theoretically, if Daytona doesn’t witness a fresh face clinching victory and a playoff-qualified driver takes the laurels, Wallace remains comfortably nestled within the top-16.

Yet, moving beyond mere technicalities, NASCAR’s oracle, Brett Griffin, recently opined on 23XI’s 2023 Cup Series trajectory. Directing his observations towards Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, Griffin posited that their success in the series wasn’t solely the fruit of their hard work. Instead, the missteps and mishaps of the Hendrick Motorsports drivers, who missed several pivotal races, ultimately paved the way for Wallace’s ascent.

To borrow Griffin’s phrasing, “You are in this position because Chase Elliott snowboarded and right-reared somebody on purpose. You are in this position because Alex Bowman got hurt. Look, one man’s misfortune is another man’s fortune. Good for you. But it all comes down to you got to do you got to execute to take advantage of that, or none of that matters.”

Such assertions, to some degree, ring true. If not for Chase Elliott’s early-season setback, leading to his absence from seven races, he might have been commanding a more enviable position either by victories or accrued points, and 23XI might have been in a different position as of now.

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Yet, the NASCAR compass could experience a shuffle, especially if Denny Hamlin, driven by swirling speculations over his delayed JGR team contract, opts to steer for his own team. The saga continues, and only time will tell how it will unfold in the next chapter.

Is Denny Hamlin eyeing a seat on his own 23XI team?

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Though Denny Hamlin and the patriarch of Joe Gibbs Racing, Joe Gibbs, have consistently quashed rumors of Hamlin’s exit, the protracted delay in inking a contract extension, set to end this year, has tongues wagging. Deeper still, parallels are being drawn with Kyle Busch’s past situation, where public statements belied the behind-the-scenes narrative.

It’s no secret in the NASCAR world that Hamlin holds the reins to steer his destiny with his very own 23XI team if negotiations with JGR hit the skids. Such a move would undeniably usher in a new dynamic for the team, as having the team owner behind the wheel is a different kettle of fish.

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Whispers in the corridors of NASCAR also hint at 23XI possibly courting Zane Smith, adding another layer of intrigue to the unfolding drama. With basketball legend Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin at the helm of 23XI, the NASCAR community waits with bated breath to see how the new moves in this chess game play out.