31-yo Bubba Wallace feels less stress while playing defense with a commanding 50-point playoff lead

Bubba Wallace enters Saturday night’s Bristol elimination race with a different kind of pressure. The 23XI Racing driver isn’t in a must-win scenario like in 2023, when he was 19 points below the cut line and fought his way into the Round of 12.

This time, Wallace enters the last Round of 16 race with a 50-point cushion that has him focused less on survival and more on staying steady. Asked about the contrast before qualifying, Wallace acknowledged the shift in approach (via Steven Taranto):

"You just have to be mindful and just aware. It’s only Friday but for sure don’t feel the stress that I had two years ago. I feel like we’re in an okay spot. We’re not clenched or anything. So, it’s just one of those things where you just run your own race and be mindful of others, you should come out of here okay." (1:10 onwards)

It shows how far Bubba Wallace has come since his last playoff run. In 2023, he advanced past Bristol but was out in the Round of 12. Now, after a consistent 2025 campaign, he arrives at the “Last Great Colosseum” with momentum. His regular-season win at the Brickyard - his first at Indianapolis Motor Speedway - anchored a stretch of six top-10s in the last eight races.

Wallace's No. 23 Toyota team has also been sharp on pit road. The 23XI Racing pit crew is among the fastest this year, and he has often credited the team for his strong finishes. Combined with reliable speed on race weekends, it gives him an edge he didn’t have two years ago.

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Bubba Wallace prepares for Bristol's new tires: "Do we really know what we’re going to have"

Bubba Wallace (23) makes a pit stop during the Brickyard 400. Source: Imagn

Bristol Motor Speedway brings a new variable this weekend. Goodyear will debut a softer right compound for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, marking the first change after four consecutive events with the same setup at the half-mile oval.

That adjustment could prove pivotal for Bubba Wallace. He has just one top-five finish in 12 Bristol starts, but with his current form, he can turn things around. Speaking to Steven Taranto, he added:

"I was really excited to see what the tires are going to do in practice. In the spring, the tires went really bad and I was quite glad to. But it didn’t happen in the race. So, do we really know what we’re going to have? So, we’re just going to focus on all the things. Make sure we handle the good."

Goodyear pointed to the weather as a reason for the change from the summer race. For teams, that means balancing short-run grip with long-run wear, especially under Bristol’s relentless 500-lap pace, where Bubba Wallace’s own speed showed promise.

Wallace was 13th in practice with the best lap of 15.406s. But he improved in qualifying on Friday with a 15.208-second run to start eighth, ahead of 23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick, who will line up 14th. AJ Allmendinger will start from the pole, as all playoff drivers failed to match his 15.117s run on the day.

For Bubba Wallace, the goal is clear. While his track record at Bristol is not his strongest, the form he is in can lead him to flip the script. And even if he doesn't, he has already placed himself in a position to advance.