“I apologize to the racing gods”: Bubba Wallace breaks silence after frustrating turnaround in Pocono

Bubba Wallace fell out of contention during Stage 2 of Sunday’s Cup Series race at Pocono. On Lap 56, his brakes exploded, making his right-front tire go down. He was taken to the infield care center and later checked and released.

Wallace was visibly frustrated. For starters, the 23XI Racing driver started from the back of the field, serving a penalty due to “unapproved adjustments” in his car during Saturday’s qualifying session. Secondly, he was unable to make it out of the rear half of the field throughout the initial 50 laps.

In the end, Wallace was awarded a P36 finish and handed his sixth DNF of the 2025 season. During a post-race interview with Kim Coon, the Alabama native expressed his feelings on the lackluster day.

“I apologize to the racing gods,” Bubba Wallace said (0:30). “This weekend sucked aside from practice but that pays nothing. Hate it for my guys, hate it for McDonald's. We knew it was gonna be a grind, and I was mentally prepared for that all day.”

Wallace’s teammate and 23XI Racing newcomer Riley Herbst experienced something similar as his car blew a tire on Lap 43 and wrecked in Turn 1. Like Wallace, he was also slammed with a DNF. Each driver was awarded one point.

After what happened to be the 17th race of the season, Bubba Wallace ranks 12th in the driver standings with 413 points to his name. Herbst sits 35th on that same list, with 198 points to his name.

Next up for the drivers is the Quaker State 400 at Echopark Speedway (formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway). Scheduled for June 28, the 260-lap event will be televised on TNT Sports, 7 PM ET onwards, with live radio updates on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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Bubba Wallace lands Coca-Cola as his new sponsor in 2025

Earlier this year, 23XI Racing announced that Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 team have signed Coca-Cola as their official sponsor and soft-drink partner. Besides that, the Charlotte-based company will serve as Wallace’s full-season associate partner.

Speaking of their newly made alliance, 23XI Racing’s president, Steve Lauletta, said in a release,

“We’re excited to welcome Coca-Cola Consolidated to the 23XI family. For decades, Coca-Cola Consolidated has had a significant impact in the communities they serve, and we look forward to collaborating with them on meaningful programs that give college students a behind-the-scenes look at how our team operates.”

“We also look forward to creating special moments for 23XI fans to meet Bubba at select races,” he added.

Bubba Wallace’s Toyota Camry will flaunt Coca-Cola Consolidated’s branding in those races (to be announced). As a part of the deal, the driver will also be required to attend on- and off-track engagement activities and events at select universities in the Carolinas.