The ongoing season is slowly embarking on its finality. With only a handful of races on the calendar, the drivers are on the verge of rounding off the Playoff list. But among the few drivers who are yet to cross the points barrier are Hendrick Motorsports star driver Chase Elliott and 23 XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace. While Elliott was sidelined from the race for more than three weeks, Bubba Wallace has been an on-the-middle-of-the-road affair with his performance.
Following such a disappointing performance, it seems that the 23XI driver is yet to rise up in the betting order of the drivers for Sunday’s race in Chicago downtown. Even Steve Letarte affirmed the notion in the episode of Dirty Mo Dough.
Steve Letarte reveals his stance for Bubba Wallace ahead of the Chicago race
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Bubba started the season on a good note. But it was not late when the driver faltered to keep pace with his fellow drivers on the track and especially with his teammate Tyler Reddick who had already snatched his win at COTA. The #23 Toyota driver in 18 starts is yet to make it to the playoffs, let alone notching a victory for the team.
As NASCAR flew to Chicago for its inaugural race, the anticipation surrounding the driver was skyrocketing, owing to Michael Jordan’s history in the past. But it seems that Wallace is yet to keep up with the expectations of his fans. And it is evident in the betting order of NASCAR, as Steve Letarte reveals Wallace’s position in the list talking to the Chopper. The former Hendrick Motorsports crew chief asked his guest, “How about Bubba? 3-1, Bubba top 10.”
To this, the blunt answer was, “Nope.” Letarte added, “I was gonna say there’s only one answer here, my man can’t keep it in between the navigational beacons on an open-air road course. So when we street course it down, ain’t happening.”
“Love the guy doing great things. He had this. They had this Bubba’s Block party or something, 4000 people here at Chicago. Like what Bubba is doing for the sport is amazing but this isn’t a rah-rah podcast. This is the betting podcast, and I am telling you, this is a fade Bubba,” Letarte asserted.
In the qualifying on Saturday, Wallace finished 14th and remained ahead of drivers like Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott, who had been a victim of a horrific wreck. Amidst these talks that have put Bubba’s competence into question, he was seen attending numerous events, including black and minority communities in the city.
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What grabbed the most attention was Wallace’s Block Party which was attended by people from the black community. Even lucky fans were able to grab general admission tickets for the race. In order to make an impact, Wallace said to the media, “We want to change for the better and allow all ages and races … to be a part of our sport with no boundaries, no hindrance there. That’s showing that we care and that we’re inclusive.”
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These initiatives by the driver are surely commendable. However, it remains to be seen whether the driver would make it to the playoffs in the ongoing season. While his team owner Denny Hamlin and teammate Tyler Reddick occupy the front row for the race, Wallace has to work his way up in order to deliver a smooth finish.
Read More: Denny Hamlin Unveils the Biggest Threat to His & Other Cup Contenders’ Chances of Acing at Chicago