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After clinching his first Busch Light Pole Award at Michigan International Speedway, Bubba Wallace Jr. looked set to have a great day at FireKeepers Casino 400.
The 400-mile-long race on Sunday saw the 23XI Racing driver equal his best finish of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season with a finish in P2. Wallace Jr.'s struggles at the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin have not been a secret, and the Mobile, Alabama native seems to be turning that around.
In a race dominated by the speed of the Toyota Next Gen cars, the #23 McDonald's Toyota Camry TRD driver managed to hold onto P2 after qualifying first on Saturday. Kevin Harvick managed to pip Wallace Jr. as he battled with the #5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Kyle Larson on a late restart that allowed Harvick to pull a gap on the field.
Denny Hamlin filled the remaining runners-up spot in P3. Both Toyota drivers, however, were frustrated with their positions as they believed they had the speed to win yesterday. Hamlin appreciated the 28-year-old's efforts in a post-race interview and said:
“Just great job all weekend. He (Bubba Wallace Jr.) did a great job and Ty (Gibbs) did a great job. The whole 23XI team just did a phenomenal job from beginning to end and they gave him a rocket. This was a well put together weekend for all of them. It’s Dave Rogers, it’s Mike Wheeler, it’s Billy Scott helping setup both of these cars. It’s just a lot of puzzle pieces that those guys are starting to do right and have good results.”
With 23XI Racing struggling for form for pretty much the entirety of the 2022 campaign, the recent change in form could mean Bubba Wallace Jr.'s playoff hopes might still be alive.
Bubba Wallace Jr. elaborates on his feelings after finishing in P2 at Michigan
Bubba Wallace Jr. was visibly emotional after finishing in P2 yesterday after the FireKeepers Casino 400 drew to a close. The Mobile, Alabama native spoke about his desire to win, causing him to become visibly emotional after the race. He said:
“Thought I could hang with the #4 (Kevin Harvick) and just got to racing the #5 (Kyle Larson) and the #22 (Joey Logano). #22 did a great job of getting another Ford contract by helping another Ford win. All in all, an incredible weekend. Appreciate my team. Wish we could have gotten Toyota in victory lane. Wish we could have got McDonald’s (his car) in victory lane again. She was fast all weekend. I will wear this one on my heart for a while. I failed everybody.”
Watch the complete interview below:
NASCAR goes live from Richmond Raceway next weekend for the Federated Auto Parts 400.
