Bubba Wallace didn’t just win the Brickyard 400. He conquered chaos! A rain delay, two wild overtimes, fuel anxiety, and a lurking Kyle Larson couldn’t keep the No. 23 from storming to Victory Lane. It wasn’t just any win either. It was his (and 23XI’s) only one of the season, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. With a playoff spot on the line and pressure mounting, Wallace delivered when it mattered most.

Jordan’s mantra: “The things you want more cost more, ”echoed in his head as he crossed the line just 0.222 seconds ahead of Larson. And just like that, he’s back in the title hunt. But for all the celebration and confetti, Wallace may have just walked into his trickiest stretch yet. Because, as one insider warns, the real test for Bubba Wallace is just beginning.

Bubba Wallace faces a tough climb despite Brickyard breakthrough

Bubba Wallace’s Brickyard win might’ve sealed his 2025 playoff ticket. But one race can’t mask a season filled with inconsistency. Before his big breakthrough in Indy, Wallace was lingering to clinch a spot in the playoffs. In 21 starts, he’d managed just four top-5 finishes and suffered six DNFs. Now, these are numbers that speak more to his struggles than his speed. While the talent has never been in question, the week-to-week execution has often come up short.

Looking ahead, the playoffs aren’t going to cut him any slack. Veteran NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass put it aptly, “He needs to have better consistency if he’s going to make a deep run into the playoffs.” The first round at Darlington, Madison, and Bristol? Manageable. But the second? That’s where things get dicey.

With New Hampshire, Kansas, and the Charlotte Roval on deck, Bubba Wallace will need more than just momentum. “I think he can get through the first round, but the second round you’re talking New Hampshire and then Kansas and then the Roval,” Pockrass added. Indeed, Bubba Wallace will need consistency and a bit of luck. Kansas, once considered one of his best tracks (with his 2022 win still being a career highlight), hasn’t exactly played to Bubba Wallace’s strengths lately.

The team’s speed there has dipped. Last year, he finished a low 34th at New Hampshire and 17th at Kansas. Only the Roval has been forgiving somewhat with Bubba Wallace finishing 9th in the 2024 race. But now, in 2025, with the competition tightening, Wallace can’t afford to be off by even a tick.

Then comes Las Vegas, Martinsville, and, most importantly, Talladega in the semifinal round. “I think that’s key for him to get through that round and ‘hey, Talladega’s in the semi-final round,'” Pockrass reminded fans. Wallace has always had a flair for superspeedways, and with a previous win at Dega under his belt (2021), he could play spoiler and punch a ticket to Phoenix if everything breaks right. But that’s a big if. If he gets past the round of 16 and the round of 12.

Still, just getting here is a story in itself. He missed the playoffs entirely in 2024 and entered Indy on a 100-race winless streak dating all the way back to 2022. “But no matter how far he goes in the playoffs. I think just making it for him is big,” Pockrass found the silver lining. Now, with the critics quiet for once, he’s got a clean slate. But with all that said, how far do you think Bubba Wallace can really go? Is the Brickyard just the beginning, or the best it’s going to get?

Throwback to Bubba Wallace’s breakthrough 2023 playoff run

When Bubba Wallace made the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2023, it was a huge deal! And no, not just for him, but for 23XI Racing too. It was his first-ever playoff appearance, and let’s be honest, not a lot of people expected him to make waves. But Bubba wasn’t just happy to be there. He showed up with something to prove.

He didn’t win a race that season, but his consistency did all the talking. Five top-fives, ten top-tens, and he led 285 laps. Now, that’s more than he’d ever done before. Bubba found ways to stay in the mix, even when he didn’t have the fastest car. And when the playoffs hit, he kicked it up a notch.

Getting past the Round of 16 was a statement. The highlight? Texas Motor Speedway. Wallace led a career-best 111 laps and brought it home third. That was one of those days where everything just clicked. Sure, he’s always been known for being strong at superspeedways. But in 2023, he proved he could hang at the intermediates too.

What really stood out, though, was his mindset. Wallace talked a lot about learning to stay calm and take what the car gives him. If a seventh-place finish was all that was on the table, he’d take it and move on. That kind of maturity? Big shift from the emotional rollercoasters in past seasons.

His run ended in the Round of 12 after the Roval, but he still wrapped up the year 10th overall. This was easily his best finish yet. It wasn’t just numbers. It felt like a turning point. Now, with the 2025 playoffs on the horizon, the question is: Can Bubba take it a step further this time? Or was 2023 his peak moment? Let’s see what he’s really made of.