“Hell, I’m good at winning in the Playoffs when I’m not in the Playoffs.” But for the very first time in his career, Bubba Wallace has a good chance of winning in the playoffs while being inside the playoffs. The 23XI Racing driver delivered a statement victory at the Brickyard 400 this season, winning his way into the postseason for the first time. Momentum is also on his side as he finished in the top 10 in four of the past six races. Hence, the sky is the limit for the 31-year-old driver.

The NASCAR postseason kicks off this weekend at Darlington Raceway, or the ‘Lady in Black.’ A few top-notch Cup Series drivers are hogging the spotlight, like Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, and William Byron. However, Bubba Wallace is done feeling like one of the ‘other’ drivers. Now, he intends to run up front no matter his history of heartbreaks.

Bubba Wallace delivers a war call

At this time two years ago, Bubba Wallace cracked the postseason field for the first time. He grabbed the last available berth by a 47-point margin. However, that fortune did not follow him in 2024, as he joined fellow competitors Chris Buescher and Ross Chastain in failing to make the cutline. The two times that Wallace won before this year, it was during the playoffs – namely, at Talladega in October 2021 and Las Vegas in September 2022. That is why 2025 brought in fresh winds of change. With a rejuvenated mindset and positive vibes, Wallace smiled through his ups and downs until striking gold at Indianapolis. Now, as he faces fierce championship contenders during the playoffs, Wallace is determined to abandon his underdog story once and for all.

In a recent ‘NASCAR Live’ episode, Bubba Wallace reflected on his troubles at first. He led a career-high number of laps at Richmond Raceway before a loose wheel axed his chances. Plus, his 2023 fate also revisited him, as Wallace said, “Speed’s there, execution not… Richmond was kind of a gut punch, and Daytona was a gut punch as well, just because of the incredible speed we had in our cars. And so, I’m excited heading into the playoffs…2023 playoffs, made it in… survived the first round, and finished 10th in points… Didn’t think we’d be in tenth.”

But this time, Bubba Wallace is fiercely prepared. For the longest time, we associated Wallace’s best chances with superspeedways. Then he dominated intermediates with his 2022 Kansas win, and his road course acumen is developing with an 8th-place finish in Watkins Glen. Wallace boldly said, “I don’t know who’s the favorite to win the playoffs; it’s hard to put anybody on it. But the way we’ve been executing the last two months, why can’t we be in the final four? And I truly believe I don’t feel as an underdog. I don’t feel like, Man, this one round sticks out compared to other tracks we needed to show up and needed to do our homework a little better. But man, I am truly excited to make a deep playoff run.”

This towering confidence has been a consequence of hard work, persistence, and optimism. Another reason is the highly motivational colleague by Bubba Wallace’s side.

Pulling himself out of misery

For a long time, a large section of NASCAR fans did not fancy Bubba Wallace. There was only one reason for that – his spicy mood. Wallace has been in the thick of conflicts, like wrecking Kyle Larson in a 2022 Las Vegas race or door-slamming Alex Bowman in Chicago last year. He has also admitted that he can be better at controlling his emotions in the ‘heat of the moment.’ However, having his son, Becks Hayden, and meeting Charles Denike significantly revamped his approach. Denike, who replaced Bootie Barker as the No. 23 Toyota crew chief, placed one condition at the start of 2025. That was to have fun. The idea was that if they are having fun, it’s because the results would match that enthusiasm.

And Bubba Wallace acknowledged the handsome dividends this ‘fun’ approach has paid. He praised Charles Denike: “He has really been a lot of fun to work with, and I feel like we vibed and meshed really quick. He has my back on a lot of scenarios and I appreciate that… I think he has adapted to that. From Truck to Cup is an incredible step, but I try not to put too much on his plate. … I think that has helped me drive smarter and have better races and ultimately get back to victory lane. He is incredible at what he does. There is still a lot of room for us to grow, but I’m excited for the future.”

Clearly, Bubba Wallace is primed to be a solid championship contender this time. Let’s wait and watch the 23XI Racing driver conjure magic during his playoff run.