Bubba Wallace’s 2025 season has been anything but easy. For months, he lived on the playoff bubble, battling inconsistency, near-misses, and the constant chatter about whether he truly belonged in the postseason picture. Then came the Brickyard – a pressure-cooker race where Wallace finally delivered, snagging a win that punched his playoff ticket, and also made him the first Black driver to win on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s oval. That moment didn’t just save his season; it silenced critics who thought his shot was slipping away.
But with the playoffs underway, Wallace isn’t in the clear just yet. After the first race, Wallace sits 25 points above the cutline. But, as you know, in NASCAR, every stage, every pit stop, and every move on track matters, especially during the playoffs. And when asked about his driver’s chances, team co-owner Denny Hamlin didn’t sugarcoat it, giving a short but telling response.
Denny Hamlin’s steady confidence amid Bubba Wallace’s playoff pressure
Bubba Wallace made a statement in the Cook Out 500, qualifying eighth and crossing the line in sixth. The solid top-10 finish helped him climb to fifth in the playoff standings, comfortably above the elimination zone (at least for now). But as the NASCAR postseason often proves, no cushion is truly safe. With two races left before the Round of 12, unpredictability lingers, and it was enough for one reporter to ask Denny Hamlin about Wallace’s chances. “Certainly they’ve got some good tracks these next couple weeks and certainly have the speed to do it,” he said.
His confidence stems from Wallace’s history at the upcoming venues. World Wide Technology Raceway (Gateway) has been decent to Bubba Wallace, where he earned a top-10 start in 2024 and logged competitive runs. Then there’s Bristol Motor Speedway – the half-mile bullring that can chew up even the best of drivers. Wallace has shown speed there, too, most notably finishing third in the 2024 race. He also managed a 10th-place finish in the 2020 edition. These results prove that Wallace can handle the chaos under the lights.
Still, Denny Hamlin was quick to underline the one element that can’t be overlooked: execution. “As long as they focus on the execution of a race, then I think they’ll be fine,” he said. Execution means no crashes, no costly wrecks, no mechanical failures, and certainly no human error on pit road or behind the wheel. One slip in either of the next two races could wipe away that 25-point buffer in a heartbeat (although very unlikely).
Wallace’s playoff fate rests firmly in his hands. With solid speed and two familiar tracks ahead, the No. 23 team has every tool to advance. The key now is clean execution. No wrecks, no mechanical gremlins, no unforced errors. If they stay sharp, Wallace moving forward (Championship 4) won’t be a long shot; it’ll be the standard. But hold up, that qualifying at Gateway switches things up.
Disappointing qualifying for Bubba Wallace at WWT Raceway
As the NASCAR playoffs continue, qualifying day at World Wide Technology Raceway delivered a mix of drama and opportunity for the 23XI Racing camp. Denny Hamlin, both co-owner of the team and playoff rival, dominated the headlines by seizing the pole position with a blistering lap of 32.330 seconds.
Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace, piloting the No. 23 car, rolled off 14th. While not ideal, Wallace knows as well as anyone that starting mid-pack at Gateway isn’t a death sentence. While not ideal, Wallace knows as well as anyone that starting mid-pack at Gateway isn’t a death sentence.
With stellar performances at similar intermediate venues earlier in 2025, Wallace arrives at Gateway with a plan. Survive the chaos of stage one, avoid early trouble, and let pit strategy and in-race adjustments open up a path to the front. Hamlin’s pole puts immediate pressure on Wallace and other championship hopefuls.
With Gateway’s long-run tendencies and unpredictable cautions, both drivers will need to execute with precision (irrespective of their qualifying positions). Wallace aims to make steady gains early, chase stage points, and capitalize on any pit lane chaos. Qualifying 14th sets the stage for a laser-focused drive, where every position won (and every mistake avoided) could be the difference between a playoff march and an early exit.