Within a short span of time, 23XI Racing has established itself as a solid Cup Series team. Ever since its inception in 2020, the Michael Jordan co-owned team has been captivating fans with its consistency and promising driver lineup. With that being said, all is not well in the proud Toyota camp as the team’s ace driver, Bubba Wallace has yet again failed to deliver the hype riding on him at the Superspeedway.
With Wallace crossing the finish line 15th and Reddick ending his day at the 30th position, NASCAR Race Hub’s Radioactive session revealed a disheartened Wallace venting out his frustration, citing the team’s sub-par equipment.
Depressed Bubba Wallace Exposes 23XI Racing’s Inadequacy
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Though the Superspeedway runs at Nashville started out strong for the team, it was nowhere near what the drivers had anticipated it to be. While Reddick lost his momentum following an unfortunate slip entering the pit, losing valuable track positions, his teammate Bubba Wallace seemed off as he struggled to find the rhythm.
Despite the 200th race start of his career, the Alabama native quickly found out what he was lacking. Starting the race Wallace exclaimed, “Yes, Sir” embracing his true self when his spotter, Freddie Kraft, boosted his morale by saying, “For the 200th time. Let’s got to work.” But the 29-year-old quickly realized the sub-par equipment that kept on getting loose, especially at the corners.
It was this that prompted him to shout-out to his team, “I’ve no confidence exiting the corner.”
While Wallace and his younger team struggled with the car, their fellow Toyota-partnered team Joe Gibbs Racing utilized the car’s dynamics to the fullest to pick both 2nd and 3rd spots. Another aspect the fans have to take into consideration is Wallace’s awful run during the qualifying session where he spun out of control, exiting the notorious turn 4, proving strength to the driver’s point.
Is It the Driver or Is the #23 Toyota at Fault Here?
For one, this is a complex question. Though the driver has been struggling for a much-needed win this season, the recent races at Kansas and Darlington have been comparatively better for Wallace considering his earlier races at Circuit of The Americas, Atlanta, etc.
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Even his qualifying run at Nashville is a perfect example of the #23 Camry struggling to maintain traction, whereas his 23XI Racing teammate, Tyler Reddick with the almost same car got the second-best time, just behind the race winner, Ross Chastain. Wallace’s qualifying run not only exposed the Toyota’s inability to carry speed out of the corners but it also underlined the notoriety of the turn.
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Though Wallace posted the fastest time of group B, posing a big threat to Chastain’s time. Coming into turn 4, Wallace paced himself pretty well but got spun around as he tried to throttle his way out of the corner at the last lap, eventually handing Chastain his very first pole of this season.
On that note, 23XI Racing and Bubba Wallace certainly needs to reconsider their strategy and the team definitely needs to rejig the car.