Bubba Wallace concluded the Go Bowling at The Glen with an eighth-place finish. The 31-year-old NASCAR driver noted that the team pushed him to improve on road courses, and fortunately, it paid off this weekend.Wallace is one of the three full-time drivers at 23XI Racing, a Toyota-affiliated team co-owned by six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin. He notably snapped a 100-race winless streak after fending off Kyle Larson at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the win, becoming the first 23XI driver to secure a playoff spot this season.In the recently concluded race at Watkins Glen, Wallace started in 15th before crossing the line in 8th, his first top-10 finish on the 2.45-mile New York road course. Shane van Gisbergen emerged victorious, followed by Christopher Bell and Chris Buescher.In a post-race interview with Frontstretch, Bubba Wallace reflected on his 8th-place finish and improvements on road courses, saying:“We're still missing a beat a little bit just from the start of the weekend. So we decided to execute a clean race all day and make the most out of it. That's what we did, and we came out of the top 10.” [0:31]“Months ago, we determined that we were a 10th- or 12th-place car on road courses, and that's just volumes to the people on this team... them pushing me to believe in that, and give it my all, and this is what we get, so I appreciate them,” he added.When asked about his mindset after struggling on road courses in the past and improving in recent times, Wallace responded:“Just calming down, slowing things down, processing things a little bit slower, and making it work.”This year, Bubba Wallace kicked off the road course schedule with a 20th-place finish at the Circuit of the Americas. He finished 12th at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, 28th on the streets of Chicago, and 26th at Sonoma Raceway. NASCAR still has one road course event left slated at the Charlotte Roval in the playoffs.His eighth-place run at Watkins Glen marked his 10th top-10 finish of the season, adding to his one win and four top-5s. He sits 11th in the standings heading into Richmond Raceway next week—the second-to-last regular-season race.“I got nothing to stress about”: Bubba Wallace on mindset before the race at Watkins GlenAfter securing one of the 16 playoff spots, Bubba Wallace headed to Watkins Glen International with a more relaxed mindset. Still, he was determined to push himself and find speed in the #23 23XI Racing Toyota.The Alabama native said (via Frontstretch on YouTube):“Yeah, for sure. I got nothing to stress about. Obviously push myself harder and harder to find all the speed in our car. So I'm looking forward to that. It's going to be a challenging day. I know that. But nonetheless get the sleeves rolled up and ready to go.” [2:24]Bubba Wallace driving the #23 Toyota Camry McDonald's at Watkins Glen International - Source: ImagnAs things stand, Wallace joins a long list of drivers who have clinched a playoff spot, including Denny Hamlin, Shane van Gisbergen, and Christopher Bell, among others. Only three spots remain, with 23XI teammate Tyler Reddick sitting 117 points above the playoff cutline in 14th. Alex Bowman and Chris Buescher are the other drivers on the bubble.