Bubba Wallace's case for being a top contender at Kansas Speedway playoff race

23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick are currently seeded last in the Round of 12 standings. Moreover, Wallace currently has a significant 27-point deficit to the cutline, but there is a case for the 31-year-old that positions him as a top contender for the race.

Wallace has raced in the Cup Series field as a full-time driver since 2018. Over the past few years, his performance has witnessed a steady increase at the top of the table, with him making it into playoffs for the second time in three years.

He arrived in the postseason in the middle ranks among all the seeded drivers and hopes to make it into the Round of 8 for the first time in his career. However, a torrid outing at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway saw him take to the rear of the Round of 12 standings, leaving only two races on his chart to make up the deficit and advance onto the next round.

While NHMS didn't turn out to be a great race for the Alabama-born driver, Kansas could prove to be the race where Wallace could redeem himself. The 23XI racer has been a previous winner at the Kansas Speedway, with him leading the final 43 laps of the 2022 fall race.

On the other hand, 23XI Racing has two more wins at the 1.5-mile circuit at the hands of two other drivers. Making the squad well-adapted to the intricate nature of the race.

Bubba Wallace also has another top-five result at Kansas, making it a favourable track for the No. 23 driver. With the confidence of already bagging a win earlier in the year, he has the opportunity to make inroads to the front end of the playoff standings if he secures a favourable outcome at the end of the race.

---

Bubba Wallace is backed by Michael Waltrip to perform well at the Kansas Speedway

Bubba Wallace (L) and his wife, Amanda Carter (R), celebrating after the former's race win at the Brickyard 400 - Source: Imagn

Bubba Wallace's impressive performances at the Kansas Speedway have helped him bolster his name in the Cup Series field. With his respectable results at the start of the playoffs a few weeks ago, he is still on the radar to claim a strong finish come the checkered flag at the end of the Hollywood Casino 400.

So, with Wallace still being in a relatively consistent form despite some subpar races, former Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip wrote on X:

"It’s a great weekend of @NASCAR Playoff action! My picks @sheldoncreed today and @BubbaWallace tomorrow. I love the @kansasspeedway."

Michael Waltrip

@MW55

It’s a great weekend of @NASCAR Playoff action! My picks @sheldoncreed today and @BubbaWallace tomorrow. I love the @kansasspeedway

While Wallace has a 27-point disadvantage that he would have to make up, Tyler Reddick also has a big task of overturning a 23-point deficit to make it into the Round of 8.