Denny Hamlin believes Bubba Wallace did everything in his power to advance to the Round of 8 at the Charlotte Roval over the weekend.
While it wasn’t meant to be, it was always going to be an uphill climb for Wallace. He’s not the best road course racer on the circuit, but he still held his own throughout the weekend, which made Hamlin proud of the 23XI Racing wheelman.
During the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin elaborated on why he left Charlotte feeling good about Wallace’s performance.
“I’ve got to give kudos to Bubba. Let me be a homer here. He did a phenomenal job this weekend,” explained Hamlin. “Qualified up front. Stage points, both stages. Which is hard, by the way. Because you’re going to have to come back to the front. Drove back up to P16. So I thought it was one of the best road course races, probably the best road course race he’s driven. Just came up short.
“Not having any Playoff points going into this Playoffs, it was always going to be stacked against him, every round he started anyways. But I think he, man. The maturity he showed during the weekend. The great interview he had after the race. Just being, very matter of fact. Respectful. Very humble. Great job by Bubba and that team, even though they aren’t moving on.”
The future is bright for Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing, and 2023 proved that. He’ll be looking to take the No. 23 team to the next level over the remainder of the season and beyond.
Bubba Wallace sends message after NASCAR Cup Series playoff elimination
Alas, Sunday wasn’t exactly the way Bubba Wallace envisioned celebrating his 30th birthday. The NASCAR Cup Series driver hoped he’d be enjoying a spot in the Round of 8 this weekend. Instead, his push for a championship came up short.
Wallace finished 16th at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course on Sunday, not a strong enough run to earn a spot in the Round of 8. That means the driver will have to wait another year to try and win a Cup Series title.
Following the disappointing run Sunday, Wallace released a statement on X.
“I’m a big believer in everything happens for a reason,” Wallace wrote. “Bummed, but I accept that it just wasn’t meant to be. Being at peace with the trials and tribulations is a weird thing. 30 … is that you? Appreciate the bday love and the continued support. Y’all be safe.”
Wallace had a shot to earn one of the top eight spots and advance — an impressive feat considering he hadn’t won a race all season. He did post eight finishes inside the top-10 in his 32 starts.
On3’s Dustin Schutte contributed to this article.