During the NASCAR Cup race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, 23XI Racing faced a difficult day as brake failures caused both Riley Herbst and Bubba Wallace to crash out early. The incidents unfolded within a span of 13 laps, ending the races of both drivers and severely limiting their ability to score points.
Riley Herbst’s No. 35 Toyota hit the wall on Lap 41 after what initially seemed like a tire problem but was later identified as a brake failure. Shortly afterward, Bubba Wallace experienced an explosive brake rotor failure on his No. 23 Toyota, resulting in a harder crash. Both drivers walked away uninjured but were unable to continue the race.
Driver experiences reveal the severity of the brake problems
Wallace described the sudden brake failure with frustration: “Nothing,” he said when asked if he had warning inside the car.
“I was going to battle the #17 [Chris Buescher] and the #2 [Austin Cindric] and by the time I was ready to touch the pedal it just went to the floor and the brakes exploded. I hate it, we’ve had two or three good races in-a-row and there goes the bad luck again. They told me there’s no such thing as bad luck, we create our own luck. I hate it for my guys. I hate it for McDonald’s.”
—Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing driver
Wallace’s disappointment was compounded by the team‘s recent string of relatively successful performances. Despite mental preparation for the tough racing conditions at Pocono, he noted his frustration with the inability to maintain brake performance:
“We knew it was going to be a grind and I was mentally prepared for that all day. As frustrating as it gets not being able to pass here in Pocono, we were going to just take our lumps and march our way through and set ourselves up for the end of the race, but the brakes just didn’t want to hang on that long.”
—Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing driver
Riley Herbst recounts a frightening brake failure experience
Riley Herbst also expressed shock at the brake failure, recalling the sudden loss of control:
I’ve grown up watching these races at Pocono and seeing what happened to me happen to lot of other guys. It was a scary feeling for sure. I was just starting to get tight, just a bad adjustment on my part. Getting into (Turn) one, the brakes just went to the floor. A brake rotor exploded and I was along for the ride with our Monster Energy Camry XSE.” —Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing driver
Herbst’s accident on Lap 41 was the first of the two major incidents for 23XI Racing, with both drivers positioned low in the final standings — Wallace finishing 36th and Herbst 37th, each earning just a single point.
Tyler Reddick’s cautious response to brake concerns
With the brake issues affecting his teammates, Tyler Reddick’s team closely monitored his car. After receiving warnings about potential brake problems, Reddick’s No. 45 team pulled his car behind the wall to inspect the brakes and avoid suffering a similar crash. Despite the caution, Reddick was able to complete the race, finishing 32nd.
Impact and outlook following brake failures at Pocono
The brake failures and resulting crashes have raised concerns about vehicle safety and durability for 23XI Racing. Wallace’s DNF (Did Not Finish) places him perilously close to the playoff cut line, just 29 points ahead of the elimination zone. These incidents represent a setback for the team, which had hoped to build on recent strong showings.
Going forward, 23XI Racing will likely focus on diagnosing and resolving brake system issues to improve reliability and protect driver safety. Their experience at Pocono highlights the challenges teams face in managing high-performance components under demanding race conditions, emphasizing the importance of technical precision and continuous monitoring.
