If you look at the big picture, 23XI Racing’s 2025 season wasn’t the story of a team stumbling. Rather, it was the story of a team constantly on the brink of something bigger. Week after week, Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick found themselves in the middle of the mayhem, trading punches with NASCAR’s heavyweights. Wallace’s statement win at Indianapolis felt like a turning point.

Reddick, meanwhile, kept showing up at the front of the field, logging top fives with the quiet confidence of someone who knows the breakthrough is coming. Well, they both made the playoffs, they both fought hard, and yet something deeper threaded through their season. It was a force you can’t measure on a stat sheet, but one that quietly shaped every run, every restart, every Sunday: momentum.

Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick’s 2025 NASCAR season

For Bubba Wallace, momentum isn’t some buzzword. In fact, it’s the quiet force that sneaks into a race team’s confidence when things start clicking. “Can you define momentum? When everything seems to be going right. For me, I just keep showing up each and every weekend. Got a lot of people relied on me to one, show up. And the second part is drive the absolute fastest that I can, and you have to believe that. If momentum isn’t on your side, eventually it will turn around,” he said.

His 2025 campaign proved exactly that. After a disappointing start to the season, Wallace finally clinched a win at Indianapolis, which locked him into the playoffs. He carried the momentum forward into the postseason, making it to the Round of 12, not on wins, but on strong finishes one after the other. However, he eventually got eliminated after the Charlotte Roval race. Overall, Bubba Wallace finished the season with 6 top-5s, 14 top-10s, and led 378 laps.

He may not have advanced deeply. But, that being said, he battled through pressure-packed rounds, staying competitive even as the elimination format tightened around him. When things didn’t go his way, he didn’t spiral. Instead, he trusted that the tide would turn. That mindset itself became a form of momentum, carrying him into 2026 with a sense of unfinished business.

On the other hand, Reddick defined momentum as, “Sometimes it can be in ways where you got to start with small victories and as you continue to build up and get better and better and continue to have successful weekends, then as those goals are achieved, you just continue to raise your expectations with it. It’s kind of a step. You go up the stairs. Every step is a new level, a new place to lock in, a new goal to achieve.”

And while Tyler Reddick’s season took a different path, momentum played just as big a role. He didn’t manage a single win in the regular season, but the No. 45 driver managed to book his place in the playoffs, thanks to his strong race performances and mid-to-top finishes. Like Wallace, Reddick was eliminated from title contention after the Roval race.

But he continued with his strong performances, race after race, even after being eliminated. If you look at his overall season, he had 7 top-5 finishes and 14 top-10s, and led 169 laps in total. Plus, he earned 2 pole positions and had an average finish of 14.5, reflecting his speed and ability to contend regularly near the front.

In 2025, Wallace and Reddick didn’t just compete. They learned how momentum shapes a season. For 23XI Racing, that upward swing now points toward an even bigger leap waiting just around the corner.

What the 2026 season looks like for 23XI Racing drivers

23XI Racing heads into the 2026 NASCAR season with a strong and stable driver lineup, under contract to include Bubba Wallace in the No. 23 Toyota Camry, Tyler Reddick in the No. 45, and Riley Herbst continuing in the No. 35 car. The trio’s return highlights the team’s commitment to building on its recent progress and fostering momentum toward championship contention. The team benefits from a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, enhancing competitive resources and engineering support.

Off track, the NASCAR lawsuit case is set for trial in December 2025 after a series of motions and hearings. While a preliminary injunction request was denied, NASCAR agreed not to sell any charters owned by 23XI and Front Row before the trial’s conclusion, maintaining the status quo for the foreseeable future.

The trial outcome could significantly alter NASCAR’s business practices and charter system structure. For 23XI Racing, the lawsuit represents a high-stakes fight not only for their future competition rights but also for broader change within NASCAR’s governance and team management framework.

In 2026, 23XI will focus on making deeper playoff runs, building on Bubba Wallace’s Brickyard 400 victory and Tyler Reddick’s consistent performances in 2025. Riley Herbst’s ongoing development in his sophomore full season is also pivotal, providing added depth and potential breakout moments.

Overall, 2026 looks promising for 23XI Racing as it leverages three accomplished drivers, enhanced team infrastructure, and strategic partnerships. Fans and analysts will closely watch how 23XI balances experience with rising talent to make its next leap forward in NASCAR’s fiercely competitive landscape.