Is Bubba Wallace proving he’s the stronger 23XI driver with Tyler Reddick on the ropes?

Bubba Wallace is in the middle of one of his best seasons since 2023. He sits ninth among NASCAR Cup Series drivers in the number of laps led so far this season. Wallace's 4.4% share of laps led beat his previous best of 3.1% in 2023.

23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick, on the other hand, is ranked in 15th place for the most laps led. The 2024 regular-season championship winner has fallen behind this season, with no wins ahead of the last regular season Cup race next weekend.

Wallace, who had a slow start in previous seasons, reversed the trend this year. He won the second Daytona Duel race and collected two consecutive third-place finishes at Homestead and Martinsville in March this year. He also racked up 61 stage points in his first six races, the most stage points he's ever earned that early.

The 31-year-old then ended a 100-race winless streak by winning the Brickyard 400 in July. He held off Kyle Larson in overtime to claim his first major oval win. Moreover, Bubba Wallace's four top-10 finishes in the last five races are continuing his strong results this year.

Meanwhile, Reddick has not lived up to his last season. His average finish sits at 15.2, with only nine top-10s and 153 laps led in 25 races. Last year, the No. 45 Toyota driver had managed 17 top-10 finishes, including two wins by this point in the season.

With two top-10 finishes in the last six races, Reddick has fallen short in the final stage. In June, he scored a stage win in a chaotic race at Atlanta but lost track position with a late strategic misstep, which cost him the win.

At Indianapolis, Reddick started fourth but his momentum unraveled when contact among other cars triggered a crash, and he slammed into the wall. Similarly, he led 41 laps and won Stage 1 at Richmond this weekend before a crash ended his night.

Wallace does seem like the stronger 23XI driver so far, with Reddick only 89 points ahead of the playoff cutline heading into the 2025 Coke Zero Sugar 400.

Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing hit with bad luck at Richmond

23XI Racing's night at Richmond Raceway ended in disappointment. Bubba Wallace won Stage 2 and dominated with the most laps led (123) at the 0.75-mile short track. He also posted the fastest lap time of the race but bad luck hit the No. 23 team and a loose tire in the pits cost him two laps.

The wheel mishap derailed his chances to finish near the front and Austin Dillon became the first repeat winner of the Cook Out 400. Bubba Wallace and Reddick ended the night outside the top 25.