Kevin Harvick Is Disappointed by Bubba Wallace’s Massive Drop in Form

NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick expressed his feelings over Bubba Wallace's continuous decline in recent races.

Kevin Harvick Is Disappointed by Bubba Wallace’s Massive Drop in Form

Kevin Harvick and Bubba Wallace (images via IMAGO)

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Bubba Wallace is one of the bigger personalities in NASCAR. The 23XI Racing star has massive expectations on his shoulders from team owners Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan. Wallace had a solid start to the 2025 campaign, but unfortunately things have been on the decline in recent weeks. Now, NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick has expressed his feelings over the No. 23 driver’s downturn in results.

The 31-year-old pulled off some impressive performances at the start of this year. Bubba Wallace secured a couple of Top 5 results, showing that he was not far behind from the front of the field this time around. However, the 23XI Racing star is yet to be in real contention for a single race victory this season. Moreover, Wallace’s results have only dropped off in the past couple of races.

Kevin Harvick recalled the start of the year, when he expected Bubba Wallace to be on fire for the rest of the season. The 31-year-old’s good start created high expectations, something that he has failed to live up to. Harvick declared that it seemed like the wheels of Wallace’s car had simply fallen off.

I think the thing that’s surprised me about Bubba is just how well they started the season. Like, ‘Oh my gosh, this No. 23 team is going to be on fire,’ and the wheels have just fallen off of the No. 23 car.

Kevin Harvick said on Happy Hour podcast.

The 49-year-old claimed that the Chicago street race was a perfect example of Bubba Wallace’s decline. Not only did the No. 23 driver disappoint in Qualifying, but made some costly moves in the race that ultimately forced him to retire. A DNF is not something Wallace can really afford when he is yet to secure a place into the Playoffs.

From a speed standpoint, we’ve seen it. He showed up at Chicago and he had all the issues that he had in qualifying, and the dumb move in the race there with the No. 48. Took himself out and cost himself a bunch of points.

Kevin Harvick added.

Kevin Harvick slams Bubba Wallace’s 23XI Racing struggles

Bubba Wallace is seemingly not the only driver struggling at 23XI Racing. The team that is currently going through a legal fight against NASCAR over race charters, is facing multiple issues. Tyler Reddick, who drives the No. 45 car, is having an even worse campaign than Wallace.

Bubba Wallace
Bubba Wallace (Via Motorcyclesports.net)

Harvick asserted that the problem was not just limited to Bubba Wallace, rather the entire 23XI garage seems to be all over the place. The NASCAR icon pointed out that Tyler Reddick has failed to match expectations since the start of the year in all aspects. While the charter lawsuit is the biggest talking point when it comes to 23XI, its drivers have been unable to really bring in some good performances recently.

It’s just been really, really all over the place, for not only the No. 23, but the No. 45. The No. 45 hasn’t done anything that we expected him to do, from a speed standpoint, race standpoint. They’ve been off. We talk about the lawsuit and things like that, but they’ve just been off, compared to where the No. 23 started, and the No. 45 never even had that shining moment yet.

Kevin Harvick explained.

Certainly, there is a lot of work to be done in 23XI Racing. Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick are in a dire need to improve their results on-track. The team is not only having a hard time during races, but is getting no relief in its legal battle either. The coming months could essentially make or break this young NASCAR outfit.

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