Five top-5 finishes, 10 top-10 finishes, 285 laps led (11th best), and a 15.9 average finishing position—the #23 driver didn’t win this year but 2023 may be his best season outing since 2020. Despite a rocky start to the season and encountering numerous roadblocks, including multiple DNFs, it was a tale of perseverance for Bubba Wallace. Although the driver failed to secure a win, he was still able to qualify for the Round of 12 on the back of consistent performances. But Bubba seeks more.

23XI Racing has managed to move to the front of the grid in the Cup Series grid in just three years. However, merely qualifying for the playoffs is not the goal of the driver, and by extension, legendary team owners, Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. 

Bubba Wallace reveals the disappointment of the team owners after the 2023 season

Back in 2022, 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin had asserted his goal for the two-car team—to make it to the playoffs. However, after a horrifying crash in Pocono Qualifying, Kurt Busch suffered concussion-like symptoms and was ruled out for the rest of the season. With #23 driver Wallace failing to clinch a victory in the regular season, Hamlin’s vision for the team was shattered. Nevertheless, the wait was not long for the veteran. This year, both his drivers were able to qualify for the post-season; Tyler Reddick by virtue of his victory at COTA and Wallace on the basis of points.

This marked a turning point for the team. However, the ultimate goal of the team—to win the championship—remains unfulfilled. This was evident from Bubba Wallace’s interview during the NASCAR award ceremony on Thursday.

Wallace was asked by the media, “There’s a lot of news at 23XI this year with Tyler and your own pit crew, what’s two top ten spots mean for the organization’s growth?”

To this, the #23 Toyota driver replied, “I think that’s a question for Denny and MJ and how do they feel about it. I know how I feel. It’s good, but not good enough.”

“I know Tyler’s expectations were probably higher than what he had. So I think that’s what the owners want from the drivers to want more and not be complacent with where we are at. So it’s been good. It’s been fun, but we know the work never stops. We just got to continue to go out and do it.” There was also an instance where the #23 Toyota failed the pre-race inspection twice in the race at Kansas Speedway, which also led to the crew chief getting suspended.

Nonetheless, it is not new for Bubba Wallace to beat himself when things go awry for him on the racing front. Still, there is no denying the fact that the 2023 season was a remarkable season for him. Wallace may not have clinched a race win, but for the first time in his Cup Series was able to qualify for the playoffs. Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr too was impressed by Wallace’s performance in the season.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr applauds Bubba Wallace for his performance in the 2023 Cup Series season

In a recent episode of The Dale Jr. Download podcast, Dale Jr asserted, “It’s been different than that. It’s not really worked out like I expected. They’ve actually run somewhat similar and at times, many times, Bubba Wallace has performed better. Bubba had some amazing qualifying efforts this year and ran well at other races that traditionally he hadn’t ran at.

“He improved at the road courses throughout the season and also at the other races tracks he struggled at. So Bubba Wallace, according to me, took a big step forward and just becoming an overall better driver across the board.”

Standing within the top 10 of the points board, Wallace has come a long way in his Cup Series career. With remarkable signs of improvement and the thirst to earn his first championship, it is to be seen what awaits the driver in the 2024 season.

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