As odd as it may sound, Bubba Wallace was relieved that William Byron won last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l.
“Thanks to (William) Byron for winning that. Didn’t have a new winner,” Wallace said.
The wake of Byron’s win left one playoff berth open, as Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick clinched playoff spots based on points. The 16th and final playoff position is currently occupied by Wallace, who is 32 points above the cutline.
The 23XI Racing driver brought his No. 23 Toyota home in 12th. It was the 29-year-old’s best career finish at the New York facility. His previous best at the 2.45-mile road course was 23rd.
“That’s the first time I felt proud of myself at a road course race. I just executed and didn’t lose focus — maybe one time. And that’s the difference maker. You’ve got to stay on it at these places,” Wallace said.
While the personal record at Watkins Glen was certainly something for Wallace to take pride in, the No. 23 driver also admitted that the finish will play into his favor this coming weekend at Daytona Int’l Speedway.
Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 will mark the final race of the regular season, as well as the final opportunity for drivers like Wallace to point or win their way into the round of 16.
“I know we still have one more to go, but we wanted to maintain our gap and not lose too many and we gained. Hats off to everybody on the effort we put in,” Wallace said. “Now, we get to go in Daytona stressful as hell, but it takes a little bit of the edge off for sure.”
Should he clinch a playoff berth at Daytona, it would be Wallace’s first time reaching the playoffs in his seven-year Cup Series career.
However, he did drive the No. 45 entry for 23XI Racing to chase the owner’s championship in the playoffs last year as a substitute for injured teammate Kurt Busch.
“I think carrying the team last year in that No. 45 car through those last 10 races gave him some confidence in my mind that he can carry a team and be a leader of a team in a playoff race,” said 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin. “I hope that he makes it, I hope that we make it as well so he’s racing for the both of us.”
If Wallace’s track record at the 2.5-mile superspeedway means anything, he can take comfort in the fact that he’s finished near the front more often than not when he’s visited the high banks of Daytona in the past.
In 12 starts at the track, the Alabama native has finished runner-up three times and finished inside the top 15 at nine races.
To make the playoffs, Wallace must fend off rookie Ty Gibbs and Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez in the points battle or win his way in by picking up his first victory of the season.
“From Bubba’s (Wallace) standpoint … he probably sees that as he needs to win. However, you can’t throw that away making a crazy mistake,” Hamlin said. “I think you still have to race smart and if you get unlucky, then you get unlucky.”