Bubba Wallace, the driver for 23XI Racing, offered an honest assessment of his car’s capabilities following a surprising top-10 finish at Watkins Glen International on Sunday, August 10, 2025. Competing in the 90-lap Go Bowling at the Glen event, Wallace’s performance shed light on both progress and limitations within his team.
In qualifying, Wallace secured 15th place with a best lap time of 72.41 seconds and a top speed of 121.80 mph, trailing the pole winner Ryan Blaney by 0.45 seconds. His start was steady but unspectacular, placing 20th at the end of stage one. During the second stage, Wallace dropped another nine positions and finished behind Austin Cindric. Yet, the final stage saw a turnaround as the No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE pushed forward, finishing eighth, which marked a notable recovery for the driver and his team.
Despite this encouraging finish, Wallace was candid about the car’s limitations after the race. He stated to NBC News,
“Indy was life-changing. It allowed me to come here and not harp on all of the mistakes that I usually make at a road course and figure out how to make less. I think we did that. I don’t think our car was capable of winning at all, but 10th to 12th place is where we determined our team is a couple months ago, and we exceeded that, so that’s a win. I appreciate everyone on this Toyota Camry. It looked good.”
—Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing driver
Wallace also highlighted the positive atmosphere surrounding the event, adding,
“My suit was the best one in the game. All around fun weekend. The big boss was here. MJ (Michael Jordan, co-owner, 23XI Racing) was here, so good to get him a couple of top 10s.”
—Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing driver
In the NASCAR Cup Series standings, Wallace slipped slightly and now holds 11th place. Over the course of the season, he has led 136 laps with an average starting position of 16.8 and an average finish of 17.8.
Wallace Opens Up About Pressure from Teammate Tyler Reddick
Earlier this year, Bubba Wallace spoke candidly about feeling the pressure from his teammate Tyler Reddick’s strong performance during the 2025 season. In an April interview on NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick‘s Happy Hour podcast, Wallace addressed the competitive tension within 23XI Racing.
He acknowledged the high expectations he places on himself, sharing,
“Seeing the success of the 45, not from a jealousy standpoint, but it’s like ‘I have the same stuff,’ and I feel like I’m just as competitive as Tyler. I put all that weight on me, that pressure on me. So, I’m back in the gym, and nobody’s telling me, ‘Hey, you need to work out to run better; you need to be in more meetings to understand better.’ I took that upon myself as, like, ‘I’m doing just enough to get by, and that’s not okay.”
—Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing driver
Wallace currently holds 610 points and ranks 11th in the Cup Series standings, trailing Reddick, who is seventh with a 91-point lead. This season, Wallace has claimed one victory, achieved ten top-ten finishes, and landed four top-five placements over 24 races. Meanwhile, Reddick has recorded nine top-ten finishes and five top-fives, along with one pole position.
Implications of Wallace’s Performance for 23XI Racing
Bubba Wallace’s recent race at Watkins Glen marks a step forward for 23XI Racing, a team still gauging its competitive baseline in the NASCAR Cup Series. His ability to exceed the expected 10th to 12th place range reflects incremental progress despite the car’s apparent lack of outright winning potential on road courses.
Wallace’s acknowledgment of personal and team challenges, coupled with his commitment to self-improvement, suggests a focused approach as he strives to close the gap with teammates and rivals. With Michael Jordan’s involvement as co-owner adding to the spotlight, continued top-10 finishes could boost team morale and raise expectations for upcoming races in the season.
