Bubba Wallace doesn’t have to worry about his future in the NASCAR Cup Series as he inked a multiyear extension to remain with 23XI Racing, the organization announced Wednesday.
Wallace, a two-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series, will continue to pilot the No. 23 Toyota Camry for the foreseeable future despite the Huntersville, N.C.-based team has yet to sign the new NASCAR Cup Series charter agreement, which takes effect next year.
The Mobile, Ala. is in the midst of his seventh full-time season at the sport’s pinnacle level and fourth with 23XI Racing which launched in 2021.
Wallace was the first driver signed by team co-owner Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, the famous basketball icon and scored the team its first victory in the rain-shortened Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in the fall of 2021.
He won again the following year in a dominating performance at Kansas Speedway.
Despite not winning a race in 2023, Wallace, 30, still made the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and finished 10th overall in the series standings with his best Cup year on record with five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes, but an average finish of 15.9 over 36 races.
Entering this weekend’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Wallace occupies 19th in the championship standings with five top-five and 10 top-10s in 28 races.
In 10 Bristol Cup starts, the Alabamian has achieved just one top-10 finish during the spring 2020 event where he finished 10th in an entry fielded by Richard Petty Motorsports.
In addition to his Cup Series achievements, Wallace owns six career victories in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, along with six triumphs in the ARCA Menards Series East competition.
Wallace is also a graduate of the former NASCAR Next initiative and a former member of the NASCAR Diversity campaign.
23XI Racing expanded to a two-car operation in 2022 with the addition of Kurt Busch. Busch was forced to retire following an accident at Pocono Raceway that same season.
Tyler Reddick replaced Busch as the driver of the No. 45 Toyota Camry and has since been Wallace’s teammate.
On Friday afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway, Hamlin talked about the extension and the expectations moving forward.
“The 23 team needs to make the Playoffs every year,” Hamlin said of Wallace’s Cup effort. “I think that is our expectation, and then make a deep run and finish in the top 10 in points. That is kind of our expectation of kind of where we are at. Just getting in, it is hard for me to say that is the only expectation, but it is an expectation given the standards we are giving ourselves.
“He knows that he needs to get better. I think he has gotten better, so as long as he continues that … We know that, given the stats he has had, the laps that he has led—everything has improved over what he had last year. Just have to take the next step.”
From day one Bubba has been an integral part of 23XI. We’re excited to announce that he has signed a multi-year renewal and will continue to play a key role in helping 23XI grow and succeed. #ForwardTogether pic.twitter.com/OMlQWfm6yv
— 23XI Racing (@23XIRacing) September 18, 2024
Follow Chris Knight on X (Twitter) @Knighter01 or email at [email protected].
