"We're not out": Bubba Wallace reveals Michael Jordan's simple text which uplifted his spirits for Darlington

Heading into Darlington, Bubba Wallace is in a tricky situation for his playoff hopes. After he made the playoffs for the first time in his Cup career last year, he has been hopeful of achieving the same this year. However, with only one race left in the regular season, he finds himself 21 points below the cutline.

But despite that, Wallace is feeling confident heading into Darlington this weekend. And a big factor in that could be his boss, Michael Jordan's text after Daytona.

During a recent appearance on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s podcast show, Wallace opened up about his finish at Daytona, and what his boss told him later.

"You did what you were supposed to do. We outraced the #1 car and we had a six-point, seven-point cushion to him, but we had a new winner. So it’s like the goalposts moved again. I had [Michael Jordan] text me and he said, ‘Things you want more cost more.' All day yesterday and all day, in the middle of the night, I’m telling myself you’ve just got to go out there and have the best race you’ve ever had of your life."

"It’s just showing up, me doing all that I can. Take out the outside factors. That’s how I’m approaching it. I woke up in a much better mood this morning," Bubba Wallace said.

Bubba Wallace further spoke about how last year, he went to Daytona "really stressed out." But now that the last race of the season is at Darlington, he said that can no longer be the case.

"Taking a deep breath, understanding where we’re at. We’re not out of it by any means. If you outrun the guys you’re racing then you should beat them. But we have to do a little bit of extra work and I’m excited to roll the sleeves up and do that," he added.

For this season's schedule, NASCAR made a few changes to the calendar. One of the bigger ones was putting Daytona one date back in the regular season calendar.

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Bubba Wallace and other playoff-hopeful drivers won't have it easy at Darlington as per Dale Jr.

Earlier the Coke Zero Sugar 400 was the final race before the playoffs. But for this season, NASCAR pushed it one week back and made Darlington the final race before the playoffs begin.

This change was something that Dale Earnhardt Jr. claimed could turn out to be a big one for drivers like Bubba Wallace, Kyle Busch, and others on his podcast show. Earnhardt said it could be so because of the nature and history of racing at Darlington.

"Darlington is like the everest of NASCAR, so going to Darlington for a must-win is like impossible whereas at Daytona you're like, 'I've got a shot. Who doesn't have a shot?' Anybody that has to go to Darlington certainly wishes that Daytona was the cut-off race." [03:10]

Junior claimed that some drivers would want Daytona back in its place as the final stop on the regular season calendar. Because at Darlington, as per Earnhardt Jr., they simply wouldn't have a shot.