BROOKLYN, Mich.—After participating in the last two Goodyear Tire tests at Michigan International Speedway, Bubba Wallace feels confident entering Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400.
And the Michigan race couldn’t come at a better time for Wallace, who is 15th in the point standings with four races remaining to determine the Playoff grid.
Last year after the test, Wallace won the pole and finished second at the two-mile track, tying his career best. On Saturday, he was 15th fastest in practice and qualified 11th.
“I feel really good about it,” Wallace said. “Some things have changed with the car a little bit. Temperatures are a little different. Nothing is ever the same. So you have to just go out and execute and plan out that last restart and finish one spot better. I’m looking forward to it, for sure. A lot of speed.”
While Wallace holds a 54-point advantage over 17th-place Ty Gibbs, four solid races–and especially a win–would go a long way in securing his position in the postseason. Wallace feels if he can build his cushion to 60 points—or a full race over whoever is 17th in the standings—should be a large enough advantage.
For the last month, Wallace has felt the No. 23 team is “on the cusp of winning if they can put all the pieces together.” A playoff berth would be a first for the 23XI Racing driver. His teammate Tyler Reddick secured a spot with his Circuit of the Americas win in March.
Placing two cars in the NASCAR Cup Playoffs was a goal team owner Denny Hamlin established for his young drivers before the season began.
“It was a goal set early in the season—to lock both in,” Hamlin said. “They obviously have a great shot. The 23 needs to capitalize on the next two weeks—he needs to have two good weeks—and I’ll feel pretty good about it. But there’s still tons of work to be done.”
Of the top 16 racers in the point standings, only four—Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Wallace and Michael McDowell—have yet to win a race in 2023.
“Four spots left, four races,” Wallace said. “You’re not safe at all. There could be a first-time winner this year. So we just hope that it’s somebody in front of you. I was pulling for 17 (Christ Buescher) to win (at Richmond last week). That was nice. So Congrats to them.
“But, yeah, you just got to get through. If we don’t win, and it’s a repeat winner this weekend, now it’s like, ‘OK, three races left, four spots left still.’ Just that kind of scenario.
“I know these road courses can be a wild card, too. Fortunately enough, we got the best road course racer in the series right now on our team (Reddick)—and it ain’t me—so we’re relying on him.”
Wallace is far from a road course ace but feels his performance has improved. His first top five turning right and left came at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course where he finished fifth last year.
“We’ve gotten better,” Wallace said. “The speed has gotten better, for sure. I think the biggest thing is like race craft, right? Get fixated on what you’re doing and you end up wadding your own s*** up and it’s like not good.
“So, we’ve been doing a lot of SIM prep, doing a lot of SIM work. That’s really all you can do. You can’t go test anymore. So it’s all virtual. But I feel good about it, feel good about going to Indy and I can say that and not just blowing smoke. I’m excited for Indy.”
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