The recently concluded race at the Talladega Superspeedway lived up to its expectations as one of the most anticipated races in NASCAR. Notably, it is one of Bubba Wallace‘s favorite tracks. As his playoff journey hung in the balance, many expected a massive performance from him. So hopes were high for the 23XI Racing team despite the rumored internal conflict between Wallace and Tyler Reddick. However, things didn’t go well. After the race, co-owner Michael Jordan was seen sharing a moment with his racers.
The rumors of tensions between Wallace and Reddick have been going on for a while now. Also, the comments of both drivers with incredible competitiveness are only adding fuel to the reports of a possible rift.
Michael Jordan stepped onto the track after the race
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Ahead of Talladega Nights, teammates Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick made some interesting comments. While Reddick had some cushion to qualify for the next round, Wallace was on the verge of elimination. Teamwork was of utmost importance, in order for both drivers to qualify for the next round of playoffs. However, Reddick’s comments during the pre-race interview screamed “Each man for himself”.
Reddick said, ?I mean you help yourself by helping your line for the most part. If you can get around fellow, even teammates, that?s better.? After the race was over, Michael Jordan stepped onto the track.
?Interestingly, Reddick lived by his comments during the race which did not help Wallace. Wallace also expressed his competitive spirit and reinforced he has to beat his teammate ahead of the race. However, things did not go as expected for Bubba.
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The billionaire owner was seen speaking with both his drivers. Wearing his iconic sneakers, the 6x NBA champion first spent some time with Reddick talking about the race. He was then seen sharing a moment with Wallace.
Jordan had his arm wrapped around Wallace and was also patting on the back of his head. It looked like MJ was consoling him after the disappointing outcome.
Bubba Wallace was not happy
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Bubba Wallace expressed his frustration after the race and called out Tyler Reddick in his postrace interview.
Wallace said, “I hate it for us, hate it for the #45 because I told him when I restart, don?t lift, and we should have just stayed in line and kind of rode it out, maybe until the last lap.”
Revealing that Reddick went against what Wallace had planned, he continued, “It would have been a different outcome. But we were too buried to win the race, unfortunately.”
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Despite the disappointing finish, Wallace is focused. However, the statement further explains the divide in the team between the two drivers.
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