Freddie Kraft Reasons Why Bubba Wallace Could Be Left Alone by His 23XI Boss Denny Hamlin in the Ford vs Toyota Battle
ADD US ON GOOGLE
Aug 10, 2022 | 5:30 AM EDT
Getty
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 06: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 DoorDash Toyota, talks with co-team owner Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, after the last chance qualifying race for the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 06, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Getty
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 06: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 DoorDash Toyota, talks with co-team owner Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, after the last chance qualifying race for the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 06, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Getty
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 06: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 DoorDash Toyota, talks with co-team owner Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, after the last chance qualifying race for the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 06, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Getty
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 06: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 DoorDash Toyota, talks with co-team owner Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, after the last chance qualifying race for the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 06, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
With three races remaining in the regular NASCAR season, with 15 different winners already, the cut-off for the playoffs is as thin as it can be. And fighting for the spot are drivers like Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., and the wildcard of Bubba Wallace.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
However, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver and the Team Penske might have an advantage over the 23XI Racing driver, the advantage of team orders.
To be precise, the team orders in this context meaning the scenario in which the teammates of Blaney & Truex, helping them out, pushing them to the playoffs as they themselves have secured their own spot.
This was what Freddie Kraft, the spotter of Bubba Wallace, recently theorized in an episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast.
“We saw Denny, I think it was last year in Talladega, he committed to the back of the #20 car all day long. He was trying to push him to a win, to advance him in the playoffs,” he said. “And you could see that at Daytona, with Martin (Truex Jr.), he needs a win.”
“These guys could rally behind him and do all they can to keep him in front of them, to push him and maximize his day.”
WATCH THIS STORY: “Allowance from Grandpa” Joe Gibbs: NASCAR Fans Slam Latest Ty Gibbs Sanctions for Infamous Brawl
Hamlin could find himself in a dilemma as Bubba Wallace would try to knock out Truex
Kraft continued that for someone like Bubba Wallace, there won’t be any team orders simply because of one thing, which is the fact that he is trying to book his playoff berth by knocking out his boss’ teammate.
“Bubba needs the win himself, Bubba’s trying to knock out Martin from the playoffs essentially,” he said.
USA Today via Reuters
Mar 12, 2022; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) during qualifying for the Ruoff Mortgage 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The spotter then went on to confidently predict that he can see Austin Cindric and Joey Logano helping out Ryan Blaney while the two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers can rally behind Martin Truex Jr.
As for Bubba Wallace?
He’s on his own.
Related Newsletters
