Bubba Wallace leads laps at Martinsville but misses out on season's first top 10 

Bubba Wallace might not have won at Martinsville on Sunday, but he showed a lot of progress with a 16th place finish

Bubba Wallace came to Martinsville looking for a solid finish in the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500, and while he had to settle for his third 16th place finish of the season, it was still his best showing to date. The 23-year-old led 23 laps and ran in the top 10 for a sizable chunk of the race before his tires started to wear.

While Bubba Wallace started his day in 25th position and finished 24th in the first stage, he was able to lead some laps after staying out on worn tires. While he wasn't able to hold off a charging pack shod with fresh rubber, Wallace showed a considerable grit throughout the stint.

Let’s try this again - tune into @FS1 at 4 pm et. @DoorDash I @McDonalds | @drpepper | @root_insurance | @Columbia1938 #TeamToyota pic.twitter.com/VtHBU0sASH

— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) April 11, 2021

It was Bubba Wallace's fourth top 25 finish of the season after some mixed results. Just how much 23XI Racing can capitalize on this success remains to be seen, but they are headed in the right direction and even seem to possess an edge at the short tracks.

We will not be racing anymore tonight.P17 when we pick back up at lap 42 tomorrow at 4 PM ET.@DoorDash | #TeamToyota pic.twitter.com/0rOmtD3yea

— 23XI Racing (@23XIRacing) April 11, 2021

Bubba Wallace badly needed a good points day after how he started the year, and he achieved that at Martinsville. His good form could bode well next weekend as the series heads to Richmond, another short track.