Bubba Wallace, driving the No. 23 Columbia Sportswear Company Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing, experienced a dramatic crash at Daytona International Speedway during the Coke Zero 400. The incident occurred amid intense racing and left Wallace and his team disappointed after starting strong and moving quickly toward the lead.
Details Surrounding the Multi-Car Collision
Wallace described the moment of the crash as happening rapidly, with multiple drivers involved.
“I need to see a replay. Everything was happening pretty quick there. The hit from the 5 (Kyle Larson) shoved me down there and it was like I got shoved up by the 22 (Joey Logano) and the 12 (Ryan Blaney) moved up. He was trying to just move up and take the lane. But, oh well. I hate it. 20th or 22nd to the lead in a short amount of time. A huge shoutout to my crew on the 23 Columbia Toyota Camry. I hate it for Columbia. They came down here and I couldn’t get them a good result, so I hate that. I’ll take the blame for it, unfortunately. Just a crap deal. Everything was going too good too early to be all true, so something was bound to happen. I hate that for everyone involved in it but hopefully we can get the 45 (Tyler Reddick) in. All in all, we’re locked in, and we’ll get focused for Darlington,”
Wallace recounted.
Wallace’s Reaction After Watching the Replay
After reviewing the crash footage, Wallace acknowledged the suddenness of the event and took responsibility for the impact. He said,
“I still need to go back and watch it. Just kind of all came together in a blink of an eye and so I’ll take the blame for it. Unfortunately, a bunch of cars got tore up. I hate that our Toyota Camry got destroyed. The Columbia car looked so good and was fast. Got up to the lead fairly quick so I thought we were playing all of our cards right. But just in the blink of an eye, which is what happens here at Daytona, it can be all taken away from you. It is what it is. We’ll rerack, take Sunday off and go focus on Darlington.”
Looking Ahead Following the Setback
This setback was hard for Wallace and the Columbia Sportswear team, who had brought a strong car to Daytona that showed promise. Despite the crash and disappointment, Wallace emphasized his commitment to the season and noted his focus turning to the upcoming race at Darlington. The incident highlighted the unpredictable nature of racing at Daytona International Speedway, where fortunes can change in seconds among top competitors including Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Larson.
