Breaking through the noise of Saturday night, Bubba Wallace had his moment in the sun under Michael Jordan‘s watchful gaze. Lighting the tracks for the first time in the playoffs, Wallace didn’t just ride the wave; he made it. Not that he hasn’t raced in the playoffs; he, along with his crew chief, switched rides with Ty Gibbs back in the 2022 Cup Series season, and in the second race of the playoffs at Kansas, he even won the race.

This time, Daytona International Speedway was buzzing with electricity, made all the more charged with MJ himself in the stands to catch the magic moment. The icing on the cake? A candid clip of an ecstatic Wallace broadcasting his joy over the radio to his spotter was later underscored by the NASCAR insider with an “idiot award” caption. True to form, the No. 23 maestro of 23XI Racing took it all in stride.

Did Bubba Wallace drop the ball on the track, leading to the NASCAR insider dubbing him an “idiot”?

Securing the last golden ticket without any wins this season surely took a weight off Bubba Wallace’s shoulders, especially given the nerves that seemed to grip him at the race’s onset. But as the finish line beckoned, and with a top-10 spot almost in his grasp, he let it slip through his fingers. Why?

The answer lies in a video that’s currently making the rounds. On that fateful final lap, when Freddie Kraft, Wallace’s trusty spotter, caught wind of #36 Riley Herbst’s misfortune on the track, he prompted Wallace to ease off the gas and reclaim his position.

However, even with the top-10 finish still within sight, Wallace shifted gears when Kraft chirped about their playoff berth.

An elated Wallace chimed in and said, “Yeah, yeah, yeah!” only to be cautioned by Kraft, “Woah! Easy! Jesus Christ!”

With a dash of humor, Freddie later quipped about Chris Buescher’s victory, “I have never loved Chris Buescher so much. I may forgive him for Dover now.”

Freddie shared a video with a tongue-in-cheek caption that captured a rollercoaster of emotions. The caption read, “What an idiot award-winning video.”

Bubba Wallace, with a smiling emoji and an invisible nod, shot back, “Will gladly accept it.”

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While Freddie’s jest may have been a nod to the slowdown in the race’s eleventh hour, fans remain split down the middle in their replies to Bubba Wallace’s reaction.

Racing enthusiasts were thrown for a loop by Bubba Wallace’s final lap antics

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While a lion’s share of fans tipped their hats to Bubba for his playoff entry, there’s a vocal contingent scratching their heads, pondering if he pumped the brakes on a potential top-10 finish.

Here’s a snapshot of the pit talk among NASCAR devotees in response to the video.

“Congrats on getting into the playoffs my Brother. Now let’s get it!”

“So very glad that @BubbaWallace is in the playoffs! Congrats to the team”

Amid the chorus of voices, a user saluted the symphony of teamwork, noting, “You and your team got yourself in…..now go get some wins my hero!!!” Yet, keen observers couldn’t overlook the fine print, pointing out, “Celebrated so hard he ain’t realize he lost his top 10.” Furthermore, lighter hearts jested about the episode, quipping, “Bro knew he was in and just let off.”

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“Those positions didn’t matter anymore anyways ;)”

“Lol did he slow down coming to the line when Freddie told him he was in?”

Additionally, Freddie Kraft’s witty poke at Chris Buescher struck a chord with many, drawing resounding applause: “He really just casually gave away a Top 10 wow. The Chris Buescher joke was hilarious too”

Bubba Wallace’s ticket to the playoffs is no small feat, but to cruise through the next rounds, he’ll need more than just the wind at his back. This time around, he can’t simply coast on stage points; the starting gun for his journey might require seizing victory in one of the opening three showdowns.