Kurt Busch brands Bubba Wallace making it to Cup playoff round of 12 as ‘HUGE’
Bubba Wallace has produced the best performance of his Cup career in 2023 despite being winless.
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Kurt Busch and Bubba Wallace (Via IMAGO)
Former NASCAR Cup series champion Kurt Busch claims Bubba Wallace making his way to the Cup playoff Round of 12 is a huge achievement for the team. Busch was Wallace’s teammate in the 2022 season before a cup career-ending crash and concussion. He now serves as a mentor for the 23XI Racing drivers and has played a significant role in the teams’ improved performance.
The 2023 season has been impressive for the 23XI Racing, co-owned by Michael Jordan and JGR’s Denny Hamlin. They have secured three wins this season, virtue of the No:45 car driver Tyler Reddick, who has also made it to the R-12. It’s the first year since their inaugural season that their driver made it playoff, and every progress they make is a new milestone.
While talking about his team’s achievements, he pointed out that it’s huge for the team and credited the combined effort of Wallace, his No:23 crew, and the team owners for the success. He added that the team executed on and off the track extremely well and said that he is happy to see success coming to the team.
“This is huge. This is something that takes a team all the way through – whether it’s simulator work, whether it’s our owner (and race winner Denny Hamlin) that’s doing burnouts, as I’m speaking. There’s a strategy call. There’s a driver’s duty. There’s a pit crew duty. This is all the teamwork that I’ve talked about for years on how I’ve lost races and won races. I’m so happy to see all of this,” Busch told NASCAR.com.
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Any progress from now will be a bonus for 23XI Racing, according to Denny Hamlin
23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin said he is really happy about their progress and Wallace’s achievement. He added that Wallace has improved his race craft and is doing and studying the right thing. Hamlin said that the No:23 driver is working well with the team as well.
“I’m really happy with where that team is progressing to and really happy for Bubba. I think the highest he’s ever finished is 20-something points. So he’s doing well. He’s really working on his craft, and he’s doing all the right things, and he’s studying the right things, and he’s really working with the team well,” Hamlin said.
He pointed out that Wallace and Reddick have good team dynamics, and the team is on an upward trajectory. It’s an unprecedented growth, considering they started from scratch in 2021. Having two cars deep in the playoff and achieving the goal they had coming to the season is humbling for the team. 23XI considers any progress going forward as a bonus.
“(He) and Tyler are working really well together. And yeah, I’m very happy with the trajectory that that whole organization’s on. I mean, not three years complete, to have two cars now in the Round of 12, it’s very, very humbling…Now, to have two in the next round, this is just icing on the cake. The key this is nothing but a bonus from here on out,” Hamlin added.
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Justin P Joy
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