Freddie Kraft paid tribute to veteran NASCAR spotter Bob Jeffrey, who passed away yesterday, mourning his loss on X. Kraft works with Bubba Wallace as his spotter in the Cup Series.
Jeffrey's career spanned both NASCAR and IndyCar, leaving a monumental mark on both series. He worked with Dale Jarrett in the 1990s, helping him win the Cup Series championship in 1999. He also spotted Danica Patrick in her IndyCar race in 2018. Most recently, he found success with Arrow McLaren, leading Josef Newgarden and Pato O'Ward to victories.
Jeffrey wanted to retire from NASCAR after the 2008 season, when Dale Jarrett announced his retirement. However, Tony Stewart convinced him to stay at Stewart-Haas Racing. The move paid off as the duo went on to win the championship in 2011.
NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass had reported the passing of Bob Jeffrey. Freddie Kraft, who currently works with Bubba Wallace in the Cup Series, also shared his tribute to Jeffrey. He wrote:
"We lost of the best today."
"You never had a bad time with Bob Jeffrey. Always a smile on his face, and a story to tell. RIP Buddy," he added.
Kraft has built a strong working relationship with Bubba Wallace over the years. They are currently concentrating on making the playoffs, but it is difficult to predict if they will be able to make it to the top 16.
Bubba Wallace's playoff picture with five races left
Wallace is currently in 17th place in the playoff standings, chasing Ross Chastain with a 27-point gap. While he has acknowledged that a win would be ideal for securing a playoff berth, he will be looking to maximize his points during the remaining races.
Wallace has not had a great season so far. While starting strong with two consecutive top-five finishes early on, he hasn't been able to display consistency. He's only managed to place in the top five one other time this season, with four total top-10 finishes.
Heading into Indianapolis, Wallace, the 23XI Racing driver, will need to push himself higher up the grid in order to maximize his playoff chances. However, with the team's co-owner Denny Hamlin stating that the car is lacking pace, it is tough to predict if Bubba Wallace will be able to pull off a top finish.
"Good points day for the #23. They're still lacking pace," Hamlin said on the Actions Detrimental podcast. "I don't know where that pace is. It's head-scratching a little bit that they just don't have the pace. [...] But they're finishing to their best ability. So, they're executing well... The speed stuff. We can figure it out, and Bubba can figure it out, and the team can figure that out. They're at least keeping themselves in the game for when they do figure that out."