Freddie Kraft, spotter for Bubba Wallace, used social media to honor former NASCAR racer and team owner Phil Barkdoll, who passed away on September 2 at the age of 87. Kraft shared a personal message on X, remembering Barkdoll’s family and acknowledging the kindness of his son Steve.Kraft reposted a message from Classics NASCAR announcing Barkdoll’s death. Classics NASCAR had confirmed Barkdoll’s passing, also adding his age and long association with the sport. In his post, Kraft wrote,“RIP Phil Barkdoll. I never got a chance to meet Phil, but his son Steve is simply one of the kindest, generous, and most genuine people I’ve ever met. We’re thinking of you buddy.”Phil Barkdoll built his NASCAR career by competing exclusively at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway between 1984 and 1997. Unlike bigger teams, Barkdoll ran on a smaller scale, often finding creative ways to stay on track against well-funded opponents.One of the most notable moments of his career came in the 1988 Daytona 500. Coming out of Turn 4, Barkdoll’s contact with Richard Petty triggered one of the most infamous crashes in NASCAR history, sending Petty’s car flipping down the track. Despite the frightening scene, Petty survived, and the incident became part of Daytona’s lore.Barkdoll himself faced several dangerous accidents. In 1989, his Oldsmobile ended up on its side after sliding through the dirt. In 1991, another crash at Daytona left his windshield blown out, though he still managed to finish the race in 20th place.Across his nine-year Cup Series career, Barkdoll started 23 races but never scored a win, top ten, or pole. His best Daytona 500 finish was in 1992, when he placed 17th. His overall best results were two 15th-place finishes in 1989, one at Daytona’s Pepsi 400 and another at Talladega.Barkdoll drove for his own team, Barkdoll Racing, and briefly for Helen Rae Motorsports, named after his mother-in-law. Away from racing, he worked as a contractor, auctioneer, poker player, and farmer. He is survived by his wife Linda, his children, and his brothers.Bubba Wallace entered 2025 playoffs with new mindsetBubba Wallace secured his playoff spot differently than before this year, which he says has changed his outlook. In 2023, Wallace reached the postseason by getting enough points. In 2025, he clinched his place with a win at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. That win made Bubba Wallace the first Black driver to win the historic race, a milestone that gave him confidence heading into the playoffs.Speaking before the Southern 500 at Darlington, Bubba Wallace told NASCAR reporter Alan Cavanna that he no longer saw himself as an outsider. He explained,“I don’t feel like 2023 playoff Bubba or like ‘Oh man, it’s cool to be talking to you guys for playoff day,’ like I feel like I belong here and want to continue this trend and have the utmost confidence in our team and our ability and our potential to carry this into making a deep run the Playoffs. So, it all starts, it all started back in February but everything just ramps up another notch for the next ten weeks.”Bubba Wallace started the playoffs ninth in the standings with a two-point edge above the elimination line, one point ahead of reigning champion Joey Logano.In 2023, Bubba Wallace’s run ended in the Round of 12. This season, he believes his team has the strength to push further.