Bubba Wallace might have already qualified for the NASCAR playoffs, but that did not stop the No. 23 team from putting in the work at the Iowa Corn 350. Starting 15th on the grid, Wallace battled setbacks and track position woes to earn a sixth-place finish.Wallace arrived at Iowa Speedway fresh off a breakthrough victory at the Brickyard 400, which secured his place in the postseason. With that burden removed, Wallace and the 23XI Racing team entered the weekend with renewed focus and the freedom to push their program further."That was a massive team effort all day. It's interesting how a win last week can just totally change the mindset and keep you in the game even when you're down and out two laps down. So, all-in-all really really good day. I'll take it," Wallace told Frontstretch post-race (0:38 onwards).Bubba Wallace's afternoon turned chaotic in the final stage. After contact with John Hunter Nemechek at Lap 242, Wallace was sent into the wall exiting Turn 4. The incident broke a right-rear toe link on his Toyota, and after repairs on pit road, the No. 23 car sat in 36th place, two laps down, with less than 100 laps remaining in the race. It could have easily been a write-off.Instead, it became one of Wallace's most impressive drives of the year.The comeback hinged on two critical factors: timing and execution. Wallace cycled into the free pass position just as there were multiple cautions. The first yellow gave him one lap back. Another, triggered by a loose side window on Lap 281, gave him the second. That reset the table, and the 23XI Racing driver restarted in 32nd with a much-improved car under him.Wallace charged through traffic, methodically picking off competitors one by one. The race stayed green to the finish from Lap 288 onward, and Wallace made every lap count, gaining 26 spots in the final stretch."26 of them, apparently. Just continuing to give feedback, and these guys using all their tools that they have to get our Alltroo Camry right. And it felt really good that whole time there. It's interesting to see where it would go and man it really hung on. I appreciate all the hard work," Wallace added. (0:19 onwards)By the time the checkered flag fell, Bubba Wallace was sixth – a gain of 26 spots in the final 64 laps. It marked his third straight top-10 finish, coming off a P7 at Dover and a breakthrough win at Indianapolis."Everything's clicking right now": Bubba Wallace finding stride as Watkins Glen loomsBubba Wallace before the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Iowa Speedway. Source: ImagnFor Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 team, the win at Indianapolis changed their approach. No longer grinding for points or desperate for a spot above the cutline, 23XI Racing's flagship entry was able to experiment and improve without the ever-present weight of the playoff bubble.That change was evident in Iowa, where the team recovered from two laps down to notch a sixth-place result. And it's also reflected in Wallace's demeanor."It's just everybody's head's in the same spot. Everything's clicking right now. A lot to digest and move on to next week to Watkins Glen," Wallace said post-race.Iowa was his third consecutive top-10 finish, something he hadn't done since June of last year. Wallace's 23XI teammates, Tyler Reddick and Riley Herbst, finished 19th and 30th, respectively, in Iowa, with neither showing the same late-race spark the No. 23 did.This recent surge also comes at a good time. Bubba Wallace is now one of the few drivers heading into the final stretch with both confidence and flexibility. That's no small thing, especially with the road course challenge of Watkins Glen next on the schedule.Historically, the 2.45-mile road course has not been Wallace's strength. In six starts at the Glen, he has only two top-20 finishes. But those have come in each of the past two years, and his overall performance on road courses has steadily improved recently.