Can Bubba Wallace qualify for the playoffs? The 23XI Racing driver clutched the 16th spot as his ride to the first playoff race. The #23 racer surpassed veteran champions to bracket the Round of 12. Now, can Wallace beat insurmountable odds to secure a spot in the Round of 8? A racing insider promptly chimed in with his response and it was not pleasant.

Throughout the season, the 29-year-old driver’s talent, caliber, and boundless grit were repeatedly put to trial. Bubba Wallace defied detractors and overcame each hurdle placed before him. Despite that, the elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway has become yet another yardstick to test his mettle.

NASCAR analyst cages Bubba Wallace’s playoff chances in past records

Bubba Wallace began the second round strong with a pole position at the Texas Motor Speedway. He then dominated 111 laps of the race and was poised for a sensational win. Unfortunately, the #23 driver lost his lead with 6 laps to go, along with his passageway to the next round. The disappointment of the race carried over to the Talladega Superspeedway, where he failed to score the requisite points to remain above the cut-off line. Ahead of the Bank of America Roval 400, Wallace stands 9 points below the cutoff. Is this the end of the line for him?

NBC writer Nate Ryan considered Wallace’s track record in Charlotte to spell out a resolved verdict. He claimed, “Bubba Wallace has improved on road courses but I still feel like he’s a 10th to 15th-place driver at his best at the Roval and I don’t think that’s going to get him through.”

Undoubtedly, a Top 5 finish could help him overcome his points gap if a driver lower in standing does not win the race. Furthermore, Wallace has yet to achieve that feat in his career. He only has one Top 10 finish to showcase in terms of performance on this track.

At the same time, a numerical average cannot possibly be the only indicator of a driver’s future performance. The racer who failed to qualify in the playoffs last season exceeded every expert prediction to survive thus far. That conviction could translate into Wallace’s qualification at the end of the race. After all, the very first Bank of America Roval 2018 was inaugurated with an unexpected triumph.

The Charlotte Roval threw a curveball in the last lap of its premiere

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The winner at Talladega Superspeedway this season, Ryan Blaney lacked his current form and experience five years ago. When Blaney competed in the new road course + oval track in Charlotte, he was racing in a winless season, having earned a single victory in his entire career till then. The young driver was not favored to win in front of champions like Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch. He was not even in the Top 10 predictions of NASCAR analysts.

However, the Roval showcased its mercurial ferocity, and race leaders Johnson and Martin Truex Jr crashed in the last lap, paving the way for Ryan Blaney to engrave a permanent mark on the track with the second Cup win of his racing journey. The history of NASCAR is littered with such unpredictable wonders. And Bubba Wallace surely possesses the skills to imitate Blaney’s subversion.

Watch this story: Bubba Wallace: Fueled by Coco Gauff’s Words

Moreover, if we were to contend solely with average finishes, Nate Ryan could have easily dismissed Bubba Wallace as a 20th-place driver prior to the playoff race in Texas. In all his races on the track, the 23XI Racing driver had a single Top 5 performance and an average finish of 21.3 to dismantle his confidence. And yet his flourish was visible for the world to see. As far as Charlotte’s predictions are concerned, it isn’t over until the checkered flag sings.

Read More: ?Put Them Back!? ? Bubba Wallace?s Mistake Forced Charlotte Roval to Remove an Iconic Feature 6 Years Ago, but Enraged Fans Demand Its Grand Return