Another weekend and another playoff race is behind us. The 2023 NASCAR season has been offering some of the most amazing spectacles the sport has ever seen. Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at the Kansas Speedway was no different. In an over-time frenzy that shook things up, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick overcame the top crop and found the victory lane. But the final laps of any race never reveal the entire plot.

As the past has proven time and time again, fortunes are as important as performances to win a NASCAR race. And for the winner’s teammate Bubba Wallace, an unfortunate blown tire got the better of his formidable performance on stage 1.

Bubba Wallace discloses his disappointment after misfortune strikes again

Bubba Wallace’s race at Kansas was just his second-ever playoff appearance. Signing for the Michael Jordan-Denny Hamlin partnership’s team 23XI Racing in 2021, Bubba came into the main fray of NASCAR’s top tier. Two years of continual improvements later, he now finds himself in Cup Series playoffs. Albeit, not in the sweetest of spots. In his first race at Darlington, the #23 driver put on a dominant display and finished P7 with the help of some clever strategizing from his crew. Going into Kansas, he would have hoped for a repeat of that. For a while that did look likely, but the setback that he eventually faced was a major one.

Taking the mic in NBC Sports’ post-race interview, Wallace answered a question about the early dominance he displayed in stage 1 and the disappointment that followed. Mentioning the blown tire, he said, “I got loose like five laps or four. But I realized that was kind of like my line and my approach to turn 4. And then three or four laps later, it blew out. No indication going into one. So I’m p**sed at myself that I wasn’t closer to the fence. Maybe we would have got by with less damage.”

Watch Story: How Hendrick Motorsports Alerted Michael Jordan’s Team of an Impending Crash Involving Bubba Wallace

Reminiscing on the turn of events, he spoke about the pressure Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson was putting on him before he got the better and continued, “But you’re never going to get a flat tire or blow a tire when you’re running 20th. You’re going to get it when you’re really fast and lights out versus the competition. And the #5 [Kyle Larson] was kicking our a** for sure, but then something happened to them and they weren’t a factor.” Kyle Larson ended the race at P4, much above Bubba.

The setbacks for Michael Jordan’s driver had begun far before the race

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The Kansas track is somewhere that Bubba Wallace has had success in the past. In the AdventHealth 400 in 2022, he raced in place of the injured Kurt Busch and raced the #45 car to victory. More recently, he finished at P4 in the same race earlier this year. On Sunday, it was expected that he would put up a performance that was worthy of this history. But the issues that marred the possibility of that started creeping in early on.

23XI Racing‘s #23 team’s car failed inspection twice on Friday, ahead of the race weekend. This resulted in Bubba losing pit stall selection. Furthermore, his car’s chief was terminated too. While the driver did end up passing inspection on the third try, the penalties that he’d incurred in doing so put him at a severe disadvantage. With all the factors weighing upon him, the slam against the wall on lap 108,  finally took the support from beneath his legs. The hit had caused his tire to blow and his tow link to break, without which he couldn’t continue the race. The repairs took their time and eventually led him to a P32 finish.

Despite his own failures, Bubba was happy for his teammate Tyler. Congratulating him, he said, “Congrats to Tyler, I’m pumped for him for sure […] It all worked out! He got his dub and am proud of him. Kept the #45 streak at Kansas in the fall going. So it’s good!”

Bubba Wallace currently sits at 14th spot in the standings, below the elimination line. The upcoming race at Bristol will decide whether his championship hopes will have a beating heart. The #23 crew and the driver both will face their ultimate test next Saturday. Let us know what you think of Bubba’s chances for the round of 12 in the comment section below.

Read More: Despite Fatal Blow to Playoff Hopes, Bubba Wallace Proud of “Little Mental” Teammate Keeping Kurt Busch’s 45 Tradition Alive