His first full-time season in NASCAR couldn’t have started with a more thumping result, Austin Cindric, the Team Penske rookie, won the Daytona 500. And as are most wins in the Great American Race, this one was incredibly hard fought for Cindric too as he withstood advances of teammate Ryan Blaney and 23XI Racing driver, Bubba Wallace.

However, while Blaney was someone who gradually grew into the race’s contention towards the end, Wallace was consistently in the hunt for the win.

In the final stage, Wallace was frequently getting a good clear look at the backmarkers. And towards the last few laps, he gave it all he could and pushed Cindric to his very limits, something the rookie held his composure through as he took the checkered flag in a photo finish.

Naturally, Bubba Wallace was heartbroken – “What could’ve been?”

His frustrations and his anguish were also evident from his tweets after the race, with a little pinch of humor.

First, he mentioned how he should’ve done to Cindric what he did to him in the Busch Clash when Wallace simply spun the Penske driver and wrecked him. “Should’ve coliseum’d @AustinCindric ass,” he tweeted.

“Beer makes me happy again. But DAMNNNNNNNNNNN! So close. Now im pissed again,” read another of his tweets.

Bubba Wallace won’t be forgetting this one in a hurry

After the race, Bubba Wallace described how he won’t be letting go of this result anytime soon. “I’m going to be pissed off about this one for a while,” he said.

But despite his anguish, the 23XI Racing driver is choosing to look at the positive side of things.

“I’m just dejected, but the thing that keeps me up is just the hard work that we put into our speedway stuff and the hard work from everybody at 23XI (Racing), proud of them, can’t thank them enough.”

Wallace described how winning the second Superspeedway race in a row, after his win at Talladega last season, “would have been awesome.” 

Yet now he’s ready to move on to the long season ahead of him.

“This one sucks, when you’re that close, but all-in-all, happy for our team, happy for our partners, and on to California.”

Also Read: Denny Hamlin Reveals Michael Jordan’s NASCAR Motto for 23XI Racing: “We Can’t Be Going Out of Business in a Couple Years”