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Bubba Wallace Jr.’s struggles continued in Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 at the Richmond Raceway as the No. 23 Toyota Camry driver finished 26th.
His consistently disappointing performances have left him in critical condition in the NASCAR Cup series standings. With the completion of Sunday’s race, Wallace Jr. fell from the 20th to the 22nd position in the latest release of the Cup series points table.
With 26th place finish, he gained only 11 points and now sits at a total of 133 points, with zero wins and one top-five finish.
The Alabama-born driver entered the 2022 NASCAR season with high expectations and didn't disappoint in the season opener, finishing second at the Daytona 500.
However, after a runner-up finish in the Daytona 500, Wallace Jr. has struggled in the races since.
Bubba Wallace Jr. finished 19th at the WISE Power 400, 25th at the Pennzoil 400, 22nd at the Ruoff Mortgage 500, 13th at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, DNF at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, and 26th at Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400.
NASCAR brings different challenges every week and sometimes drivers find the starting stages of the season difficult. Wallace Jr. has driven closer than last year and is struggling to turn a good run into a strong finish so far this season.
Meanwhile, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin won the Toyota Owners 400, the 47th win of his NASCAR career.
The first short track race of the 2022 season featured the debut of the Next Gen cars. Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney and Joe Gibbs Racing team driver Martin Truex Jr. won Stage 1 and Stage 2, respectively.
Bubba Wallace Jr.’s team suspended for four weeks
Last week, NASCAR issued penalties to Bubba Wallace Jr.'s team after his No. 23 Toyota Camry lost a wheel during last weekend’s race at the Circuit of the Americas.
NASCAR handed suspensions to 23XI Racing Crew Chief Robert Bootie Barker and crew members Caleb Dirks (Jack) and Adam Riley (rear-tire changer) for the next four races.
Dave Rogers, the 23XI Racing Performance Director, served as acting crew chief at the recently concluded Toyota Owners 400.
