“This is our year” - Bubba Wallace bets all his chips on 23XI succeeding in NASCAR this season

Bubba Wallace enters his third season with 23XI Racing and is confident that the team is capable of fighting at the front.

Wallace has complete faith in the team, saying that 2023 will be 23XI's year. He said in an interview before the season opener:

“Yeah, I’m putting the stamp on it, This is our year. This is our breakout year. I’m excited, the most excited, the most confident I’ve gone into a season, and it starts here with the 500.”

The 23XI Racing Team, co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, debuted in 2021. Bubba Wallace has been with the North Carolina-based outfit since its inception. The team added Kurt Busch to their lineup for 2022.

Last year, the team also managed to sign two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick for 2024. Busch’s slow recovery from a midseason accident allowed Reddick to join the team a year early.

23XI had a stellar debut season managing to win the race at Talladega. The team further added two more victories to its tally the following year. Expectations remain high for the 2023 season as Reddick joins the team and Hamlin expects both drivers to be playoff contenders. Hamlin added that the team's hard work over the past two years will pay off:

“Certainly, the performance he [Wallace] had at the end of last year kind of showed what his potential is, so I think both making the playoffs [is a reasonable expectation], Then if they can make it into the Round of 12 and keep going, then that’s going to be a pretty successful year for us.”

Speaking about his expectations for the year, Bubba Wallace said:

“I would say this is the most excited I’ve been for a season to start just because of the momentum we have and all the changes we’ve made in the offseason, It’s shaping up to be hopefully our best year yet.”

23XI Racing will run its own pit crew this year, with Josh Shiplett leading the pit crew. As the team enters its third season, Bubba Wallace hopes to make a competitive start to the season.

---

Winning Daytona 500 is the same as any other race: Bubba Wallace

Comparing his last win in Kansas to the Daytona 500, Bubba Wallace said:

“I think that winning the 500 is, for me, just another race. … Don’t get me wrong, it would be incredible to win this race.”

The 29-year-old driver came close to winning NASCAR’s most prestigious race in 2018 and 2021 finishing second on both occasions.

Speaking about his missed opportunities, Wallace said:

“Probably a month out from Sunday, people will start replaying last year’s finish or some of the greatest finishes for the 500, and I think I’ve been able to be a part of a few of those, so you get to relive it indirectly.”

While Bubba Wallace won't rue his lost chances, he hopes to begin the season on a positive note.