Bubba Wallace makes a major claim about his mentality ahead of the playoff opener: “You guys probably wouldn’t give me that trait”

NBC Sports shared what the NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers say about their strengths and weaknesses entering the 10-race postseason. 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace was among the interviewees.

Wallace made this year’s playoffs, and he also created history when he won the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27. No Black driver had ever won at the historic racetrack before Wallace. The victory also snapped a 100-race winless streak by beating the 2021 Cup Series champion, Kyle Larson.

Speaking with NBC, the Alabama native said:

“I think mentality is my biggest strength. You guys probably wouldn’t give me that trait a couple of years ago. I feel good where I’m at. I feel confident where I’m at.

“My weakness – I think is the heat of the moment scenarios. I guess it goes with mentality too – how do you react to that. We will go with that,” he added.

Bubba Wallace has been driving in the Cup Series for eight years now. He became the second driver of color to win a Cup race with his triumph in the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway back in 2021. 23XI Racing was a relatively new team at the time.

This year, the Huntersville-based team added a third car to its Cup Series roster with Riley Herbst as its driver. That being said, Bubba Wallace is the longest-tenured driver in the camp and the only one to make the playoffs this season through wins. His teammate, Tyler Reddick, made the cut on points.

“I feel like I belong here"- Bubba Wallace wants to continue the “trend” entering the 2025 playoffs

NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 - Qualifying - Source: Getty

Bubba Wallace’s dreams of being a Cup Series champion were shattered when he got eliminated from the Round of 12 concluding race at the Charlotte ROVAL back in 2023. Recalling his heartbreak, he said in a recent interview that he was no longer the same driver he had been two years prior.

The 2025 Bubba Wallace wasn't grateful for the spotlight. He thought that he belonged in the postseason.

“I don't feel like 2023 Playoff Bubba, where like, 'Oh man, it's cool to be talking to you guys for Playoff Media Day,'" Wallace said during NASCAR's Playoff Media Day at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Currently, Wallace is ranked ninth in the championship standings, two points above the cutline. On the other hand, Tyler Reddick, his teammate, is one point below the cutoff line.

Next up for the drivers is the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. In his last six starts at the egg-shaped oval, Wallace has finished inside the top-10 on four occasions, one of which is a top-five (2023). Sunday’s race (August 31) will mark his 15th start at the ‘Lady in Black.’