Toyota wants Bubba Wallace to win at least one race in 2023
Bubba Wallace has 10 more races left this season to secure a playoff spot.
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Bubba Wallace (Credits: RollingStone)
The 2023 season so far has been solid for 23XI Racing Bubba Wallace. He has positioned himself in the top 16 for the championship fight following his consistent top 10 finishes. The TRD team has also been giving him and his teammate Tyler Reddick cars capable of securing wins. Other than the break rooter issue from Gateway, 23Xi Camry has been solid.
Since his breakout campaign with Michael Jordan’s team last season, Wallace is expected to achieve glory more often than in the past. Toyota Racing Development President David Wilson has pointed out that he and the manufacturer expect Wallace to secure at least a win in 2023 and a fifth playoff position for the team.
“Now our target at the beginning of the year was five into the top 16 for the playoffs. We still got one to go, and I really do believe that the way Bubba is running — he’s not a big road course guy, OK, and he’ll admit that himself. But otherwise, you know, intermediates, he’s one of the top cars. So I think I really expect Bubba to win at least once this year and again claim our fifth position in the playoffs,” Wilson said.
TRD’s Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and Reddick have secured the playoff spots. The only drivers in the grid that is yet to secure the spot are Wallace and JGR rookie Ty Gibbs. Being a rookie driver, the 2022 Xfinity Series champion is not expected to secure a spot in the chase, but Wallace on the other hand, is expected to secure the spot.
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23XI boss Denny Hamlin has already set a Round of 12 targets for Bubba Wallace
23XI Racing co-owner and Joe Gibbs Racing diver Denny Hamlin has set the R-12 as the benchmark for both his drivers in the 2023 season. He pointed out, ahead of this season, that Wallace being one of the consistent drivers during the last 10 races of 2022, is capable and should secure a spot in the top 12.
“I expect both of our guys to make the playoffs, and I expect both of them to be top 12 in points. I mean, certainly we expect him (Wallace) to make the playoffs. You know, Bubba did such a great job. I mean, he finished top 10 in points for us racing in the playoffs. Not many people know that that 45 car with Bubba driving it finished 10th in points last year in that playoff run so he did a great job,” Denny Hamlin said in January.
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Justin P Joy
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