Denny Hamlin doesn’t seem 100% sold on the idea that Bubba Wallace will secure 2023 Cup playoff spot

The 2022 NASCAR Cup season was the breakout year for Bubba Wallace.

Denny Hamlin doesn’t seem 100% sold on the idea that Bubba Wallace will secure 2023 Cup playoff spot

Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin (Credits: Bleachers Reports)

Bubba Wallace produced the best-ever NASCAR Cup series season of his career in 2022, finishing  P19 in the championship with one win and five top 5 finishes. Wallace, though he missed out on the playoffs, proved himself worthy of the 23XI Racing seat with his performance in the latter half the season. He finished among the top 10 drivers in terms of points scored during the playoffs.

He is expected to attest make it to the playoffs in the 2023 season following the breakout campaign. Wallace needs to step up his game and score a win early in the season to have positive momentum. Unlike last season he will face tougher computation as the teams have a better understanding of the Next-Gen car.

YouTube video

23XI co-owner and Joe Gibbs Racing No:11 team driver Denny Hamlin spoke about his expectations in 2023 for Wallace and his new teammate Tyler Reddick, in his LA Clash Media Availability. He pointed out that he expects both the drivers to finish in the playoff and added Wallace would have to take a bit of a big step to make it into the playoffs.  

FS Video

“As far as expectations, both making the Playoffs is a reasonable goal. Bubba (Wallace) will have to take a little bit of a jump to do that, but certainly the performance he had at the end of last year kind of showed what his potential is so I think both making the Playoffs. 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,” Denny Hamlin said.  

The TRD team has invested more in human resources this year to improve the team, and expect this to pay off. Hamlin said, “I know it’s a cliché thing, but want to continue to see us move up in the standings, and our drivers win more races. We won one in year one, two in year two, so want to keep seeing that growth,”.

Discover: “I feel so hopeless,” Kyle Busch’s Wife discloses concerns over her health-condition

Bubba Wallace is positive about his 2023 season

Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin
Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin (Credits: IMAGO)

The No:23 driver is excited about the 75th anniversary season and hopes to carry the good momentum he had from 2022. Unlike his last two years, he wants to win at the right time this season. He 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. We’ve been able to win the last two seasons, but at the wrong time,”.

Wallace understands that he now has the right people surrounding him and only needs to do his job to perfection to make to the playoffs. He said, “We didn’t win for the Playoffs and getting into the Playoffs, which our team is totally capable of doing now with people in the right place and mentalities now. The work efforts are there and I just need to go out and do my job and start this year off right,”.

After discussing his expectations of the LA Clash, Bubba Wallace acknowledged that he loves working with his crew chief Bootie Baker and hopes to continue to develop under his guidance. He added, “It’s been fun working with Bootie and continue to grow with them and just push that leadership throughout our team,”.

In case you missed it: