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2023 was the year when Bubba Wallace qualified for the Cup Series playoffs for the first time. And while most of the credit goes to his crew chief, Bootie Barker, for strategizing everything, laps, races, and stage points to get him in the top 16, it was also the unwavering support of his boss Michael Jordan. The Netflix series “NASCAR: Fast Speed” gave everyone a glimpse of the same.

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Mostly the series revolved around the races, the qualifying, and some personal aspects, with a personal congratulation coming from the legendary NBA player, Michael Jordan standing out.

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Michale Jordan came on the pit road to congratulate the team, while showing support to his prodigy

Bubba Wallace has always confessed to taking inspiration from Michael Jordan. And when at Daytona, based on points and Chris Buescher’s victory, Michael Jordan himself visited Bubba Wallace to congratulate him alongside other members of the 23XI Racing team as Wallace clinched the 16th and final playoff spot while showing his faith towards him.

As soon as Bubba Wallace acknowledged, “We got it boss,” Jordan was quick to come up with, Way to go kid. Called it though, didn’t you? Good job man. I am proud of you guys.” Later on, looking at the good day performance shown by Wallace and Co., Jordan even said that he was eager to visit the next weekend at Darlington: “I don’t mind going back there if I knew you were going to have a good day.”

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Not to mention, Netflix truly laid it all out there, giving us a no-holds-barred look at the whole shebang. At that point, Wallace had been having a bit of a rough patch, missing the top 10 in nearly all of his recent races. But his impressive run of top fives in May and a notable fourth spot in the Las Vegas race back in February gave him just the leg up he needed.

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The gripping part of the tale was unveiled right at the tail end of Episode 1. While Episodes 2 and 3 threw a spotlight on a mix of drivers, it was Wallace and his trusty crew chief who really grabbed the limelight in Episode 3, proving once again that teamwork makes the dream work.

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Bubba Wallace lit up the screen in “NASCAR: Full-Speed”

Once Bubba Wallace and his squad clinched their spots in the top 16 and then the top 12, the next hurdle was making it to the elite top 8. Wallace and his crew chief hit their stride, navigating their way into the round of 12 with finesse.

Their standout performance in Texas, where Wallace snagged the pole and then clinched third place, was a chapter in itself. The drama peaked at the Charlotte elimination race, where despite Wallace bowing out, Tyler Reddick secured his spot in the top 8, sending the 23XI Racing team on an emotional whirlwind.

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It was the unguarded moments, particularly the heartfelt exchange between Barker and Wallace post-Texas, that truly captured the essence of the series. Netflix outdid itself, bringing the drivers’ genuine emotions to the forefront, especially highlighting Wallace, known for his heart-on-sleeve expressiveness.

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Neha Dwivedi

1,262 Articles

​​Neha Dwivedi is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. As a journalist, she religiously believes in the power of research, which allows her readers to dive deep into her stories and experience the detailed nuances of the sport like never before. Being proficient with Core Sport and Live Event Coverage, she has written multiple copies on the top entities of Stock Car Racing, like Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Tony Stewart. Even before Neha entered the world of Sports Journalism, she was a writer for the longest time. This helped her master the art of storytelling, which now allows her to connect with not only her readers but also drivers like Thad Moffitt, who have shown appreciation for her work. While she enjoys bringing the BTS scoops of NASCAR to the forefront, her favorite style of coverage has to be where she has the opportunity to explore some of the sports' most talked about topics like penalties, innovation, and safety.

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Abhishek Ramesh

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