"I choked": Bubba Wallace beats down on himself after losing NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas to William Byron

Bubba Wallace experienced the highlight of his career during Sunday's playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway. He held the lead for an impressive 111 laps out of 267, but his advantage faded away during the final restart, resulting in a third-place finish behind William Byron and Ross Chastain.

Bubba Wallace had a great start in the race, highlighting his substantial laps led, but ultimately fell short of victory. The 23XI Racing driver was pressed to provide insights into the circumstances surrounding his loss of the lead during the last restart. According to Motorsports.com, Bubba Wallace stated:

"We’re racing for a win. I just hate it. I should have just kept my line into 3 (turn) and forced William to get it right. But we’re so vulnerable in these cars, right? But just upset with myself. Needed a win there, and it was a good showing. I don’t know where that puts us. I don’t care. But I know what I did and I choked.”

Following the race, Bubba Wallace did improve his position in the playoff standings in comparison to his position at the beginning of this round.

However, he remains among the four drivers with the fewest points and no wins with just two races left in the Round of 12, which will take place at Talladega next week and the Charlotte Roval the week after.

I believe I've made significant progress in this aspect, becoming more adept at processing things says Bubba Wallace

Bubba Wallace currently sits just below the cutoff line, trailing Kyle Larson by two points for the eighth position.

Throughout his Cup Series career, he has faced challenges on road courses but demonstrated strong performances on superspeedways, with a previous victory at Talladega.

This suggests that another solid finish, or even a potential win, remains within reach in this round. Wallace was questioned regarding his strategies for the upcoming two races and whether he had gained any insights from his performance at Texas.

"Yeah, you’ve just got to process things slowly. I feel like I’ve made a massive improvement in that, processing things a little bit better, but when it comes down to crunch time, you have to keep it all in check. The best restarter in the game gives it up on a restart. Funny how that works.”

Finally, he extended his gratitude to all his supporters and recognized the impressive performance of his Toyota Camry, particularly when he was in the lead. He also acknowledged the challenges he encountered while navigating through traffic but ultimately overcame them, securing valuable points.

Historically, he has excelled on superspeedways, with his inaugural Cup victory occurring at Talladega in 2021. Therefore, if he can maintain this level of performance, a Wallace victory could be a realistic possibility at next weekend's race.

Wallace's ability to openly discuss this setback shows his resilience and determination to learn and grow from these experiences.

In the end, while Bubba Wallace may have felt the sting of defeat, his acknowledgment of "choking" serves as a reminder that even the most talented and skilled individuals can face moments of vulnerability.