Bubba Wallace reveals his message to 23XI Racing after “head scratcher” New Hampshire race

Things didn’t end well for Bubba Wallace or his teammates at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. While Tyler Reddick and Riley Herbst finished P21 and P22, respectively, Wallace was able to salvage only a 26th-place finish.

The 301-lap event, named Mobil 1 301, was the opening race of the Round of 12 of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Wallace, who made the segment through points, currently sits 12th in the playoff standings with a 27-point deficit on the cutoff line.

That is definitely not ideal for the Alabama native. Reflecting on his day during a post-race interview with NBC Sports, Wallace said:

“Just a miss all around really. We couldn’t really seem to get things going. Our best run lasted for five laps, the caution came out, and then it was just right back to no good. I hate it.”

“I felt really optimistic and marched forward at the start and it just never really went anywhere,” Bubba Wallace continued. “We kind of plateaued on Lap 5, and that was it. I hate that. It’s just a head scratcher. I told our team we’re way better than that. We know it.”

Next up for Bubba Wallace and his team is the Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN Bet at Kansas Speedway. He has won there before, but has never finished inside the top 15 since September 2023.

In fact, his most recent finish at the 1.5-mile tri-oval speedway is a P33. Needless to say, he is in a rough spot just after one race this round.

The way things are right now, the Wallace has to make up for the points deficit, stay out of on-track incidents, and then score additional points to earn a spot above the cutoff line. The 23XI driver could also win a race and qualify directly for the Round of 12.

Bubba Wallace weighs in on the NASCAR playoff debate

The elimination-style playoff format could change next year as NASCAR is currently discussing potential revamps with its playoffs committee. But Bubba Wallace doesn’t really care about the format. All he cares about is his winning races.

When asked if the current system is fair, Bubba Wallace said he would rather stay out of the discussion. He has a contract in place and a supportive team that strives to give him the fastest car they possibly can every single week. So nothing else matters.

“I could give two craps about how it is, not dismissing people’s opinions, of course, at all. I hear all that, but we have a job,” Bubba Wallace explained. “This is what we are paid to do, and we’re paid to beat the rest, right? And once you do that, you become champion. Cool, doesn’t matter what format it is.”

One could say that Wallace is really locked in. He is currently vying for his second win of the season, and fourth overall.

All eyes are now on Kansas. Fans can watch the 267-lap event on USA (September 28, 3 p.m. ET) or listen to live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.