Bubba Wallace holds himself to high expectations and that is expected as he is coming off two straight seasons of winning at 23XI Racing. However, those emotions got the best of him last weekend after he did not finish the race at Circuit of the Americas.
Wallace finished in 37th place and said he is trying his hardest not to go down the “slippery slope of self-doubt.” The driver of the No. 23 car continued by saying 23XI Racing should replace him after he made two rookie mistakes in back-to-back weeks during his sixth full-time season.
It was a surprising comment to hear from Wallace but it just shows how he holds himself to a high standard. After Wallace’s comments and the race weekend, 23XI Racing responded to what he said about needing to be replaced and the slippery slope of self-doubt.
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23XI Racing provides a response to Bubba Wallace’s comments at Circuit of the Americas
While one driver at 23XI Racing celebrated his dominant performance at Circuit of the Americas, the other is looking for answers after another rough weekend. Tyler Reddick, the driver of the No. 45 car, claimed the victory after having the best car last weekend.
Meanwhile, Wallace could only watch as his teammate won the race in which he broke a toe link and oil line trying to move forward. It was disappointing but it is still early in the 2023 season.
23XI Racing President Steve Lauletta hopped on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and discussed Wallace’s comments after his wreck at Circuit of the Americas.
“(23XI Racing) just keeps supporting (Bubba Wallace). He knows he has everybody’s support at 23XI no matter what happens. We continue to keep our arm around him and each other. We all have our down days, we all have our up days…We just try to keep that in mind as part of our culture to ride the ups and the downs and not get too high one way or the another. We work with Bubba and everybody on that.”
Steve Lauletta on supporting Bubba Wallace through his recent struggles
Despite Wallace’s comments, he won’t be replaced and there are many reasons behind that fact. He has won a NASCAR Cup Series race in two straight seasons and has shown speed on several different occasions.
Every driver goes through a rough stretch but they are defined by how they bounce back. Wallace has two top-20 finishes and three DNFs through six races so this is his time to rebound and put his best foot forward.
Wallace has a bright future in the Cup Series and he is with the perfect team to help him reach major milestones. 23XI Racing supports Wallace and will continue to lend a helping hand as the season progresses.
The driver of the No. 23 car has proven he can be successful when things are clicking on all cylinders. For now, it is important to stay focused on the races ahead and string together some good finishes.