In the buildup to the 2021 Cup season, many have tipped Bubba Wallace to be a dark horse. Now, it seems that he is definitely living up to those expectations.

During the Wednesday practice session, he nearly breached the 200 mph barrier while drafting. This was enough to place him in the lead in the Daytona 500 practice.

As it turned out, the 23XI Racing driver stuck to the draft of the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota drivers. While tailing the Joe Gibbs quartet, he managed to clock a speed of 199.75 mph.

Speaking of the JGR drivers, Martin Truex Jr led everyone, with a top speed of 199.69 mph. Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Christopher Bell all trailed the duo.

How did the rest of the grid stack up behind Bubba Wallace?

Just outside the top five was NASCAR returnee, Jamie McMurray with a top speed of 199.62 mph. Behind him were Spire Motorsports teammate Corey LaJoie and Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell.

Ryan Newman and Cole Custer completed the top 10. Meanwhile, Erik Jones Matt DiBenedetto, Aric Almirola, and Chris Buescher rounded out the top 14.

Needless to say, this potentially places Wallace in a great position. Although it would be prudent to suggest that he could win, stranger things have happened at the Daytona 500. It just so happens that Bubba Wallace has given himself a small advantage over his rivals.

All that is left for him to do is try and maintain a consistent performance throughout the race weekend. Of course, it could be difficult, especially since he has never visited Victory Lane in the Cup series.

However, there is a first time for everything. The manner in which Bubba Wallace has been performing in recent years, many have reason to believe that a maiden win is just around the corner and it could come in 2021 itself.

READ MORE: From Bubba Wallace to Ryan Newman: Five ‘Dark Horses’ for the 2021 NASCAR Daytona 500