“Really Has to Be Smiling” – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Backs a Resurgent Bubba Wallace

There is no denying the fact that the race on the track of Richmond was anything but exhilarating. The race lacked a fierce battle, where the drivers didn’t fight tooth and nail in order to outdo the other fellow driver and gain position on the track. However, the race surely delivered some spectacular performances from the drivers, especially RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace.

The performance that the RFK Racing drivers exhibited was beyond par and was worthy of adulation, as Buescher claimed his first victory in the season. In addition to Buescher, the 23XI Racing drivers were dominant forces on the track, as both the drivers lead a number of laps and collected playoff points. However, it seems that the rendition by Bubba Wallace caught the eyes of Dale Earnhardt Jr, as he expressed his appreciation for the driver.

Dale Earnhardt Jr expresses his adulation for Bubba Wallace for his performance

The race at Richmond was surely not a regular race weekend for Bubba Wallace and his No.23 Toyota team, as Freddie Kraft was taking time off as the spotter’s father passed away, just days back. Moreover, in order to provide a befitting tribute to the soul, Bubba Wallace by taping the name of Kraft’s father name over the driver’s door. 

Furthermore, both the 23XI Racing drivers dominated the whole of Stage 1 and at the beginning of Stage 2. While Tyler Reddick was the stage 1 winner, Bubba Wallace dominated a major part of the second stage but faltered due to the hiccup on the pit road. Nevertheless, Wallace collected enough stage points to position himself above the cutline of the postseason.

This seemed to have caught the attention of Dale Earnhardt Jr as he expressed his praises for the driver. In the latest episode of Dale Jr Download, the host stated, “At Richmond, Bubba Wallace doubled his gap. He went from plus 27 to plus 54 and Michael McDowell gained one point.”

“Allmendinger lost a few points, Ty Gibbs went from -28 to -18, and Suarez had a tough phase went from – 23 to -34, so shifting around Bubba Wallace has to be smiling coming out of Richmond because we are going to some road courses where they struggle and he is gonna need that 54 point cushion,” Junior added.

Michael McDowell’s crew chief declares defeat to Bubba Wallace in Richmond

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However, it was not just Bubba Wallace that delivered favorable results on the track of Richmond, but also the driver of Front Row Motorsports Michael McDowell. Although the driver finished 22nd in the race, McDowell also led nine laps in the race before being jinxed away due to a shaky pit stop.

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Nevertheless, the driver has positioned himself above the playoff and occupies the last berth in the playoff standing and had increased his points difference with Ty Gibbs, the driver behind him in points. 

However, it seems that the crew chief Travis Peterson considered himself to be the person to be blamed. He expressed to the media, “We got so far behind there and then we had a bad pit stop and it just compounded. We had no chance in Stage 3. We had a way faster car than we’ve ever had in Richmond, and I think I just screwed it up. So I apologize to everybody that likes the 34 team.”

“We didn’t really lose a lot of (points) to the cut, but we lost a lot to Bubba, and that’s where we needed to stay closer,” Peterson also added. “We were looking at a top 15, no problem. Like I said, I’m a little baffled at the moment why it didn’t work for us, but obviously, it didn’t. We had a fast enough car, we should’ve just done what everybody else did, and we’d have been fine. Definitely hurts right now. I gotta get back and digest it.”

The question that arises at this point is whether these two drivers would be able to hold on to their positions on the points standing and make it to the playoffs, or will they stumble down and give up on their hopes for the post-season?

Read More: “Let Me Down Again”: Bubba Wallace Refuses to Sympathize With IndyCar Buddy’s Miserable Luck