The Toyota driver had a disappointing fifteenth-place finish at the race in COTA. Bubba Wallace, at the beginning of the season, achieved two top-five finishes at Daytona and Atlanta. These performances were expected to set a precedent for the 23XI racer in future races. However, this initial boost in momentum did not lead to better results in subsequent races. As a result, the 30-year-old now admits that his lack of results in recent races is due to his own mistakes.
Bubba Wallace’s recent performance has raised doubts about his ability to achieve a third career win and qualify for the playoffs in 2024, especially after his best season last year. Even at COTA, where several drivers encountered difficulties, it could have been a crucial opportunity for the D4D graduate to secure a top-10 finish at the very least. Unfortunately, he failed to do so.
The 23XI driver explained before the COTA race that, apart from speedway races like Daytona and Atlanta, achieving a top-10 finish has been a difficult task for him despite having fast cars. Most of his poor results are a result of his own mistakes during the race. Therefore, he is determined to break free from this streak of underwhelming performances and showcase his true potential to make it to the Round of 12 this year, just like he did last year.
Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace finished in 14th and 15th place respectively at COTA. Towards the end of the race, the team owner-driver duo had a minor altercation. The 43-year-old admitted that he attempted a move on the 23XI driver but misjudged it, resulting in contact between them.
Although it initially seemed like a serious incident, both drivers were able to recover and continue racing until the checkered flag. While they both enjoyed the competitive spirit, it would not have been a pleasant outcome if either of them had encountered any issues during the clash.
Despite tensions within the 23XI team, both drivers are focused on maximizing their point-scoring opportunities during race weekends. Their goal is to elevate the Hamlin-owned outfit to greater heights in the series.