A defeated figure walked toward the race reporters as sweat glistened on his forlorn face. The jubilation of his first playoff qualification was long forgotten by the burden of looming elimination. Moments away from victory, 23XI Racing‘s Bubba Wallace settled for third place with a heavy heart. Blaming himself for the race in Texas, Wallace let out a vanquished sigh as he admitted he failed in the end.

Perilously close to losing his hard-earned spot, the intense pressure of the next race engulfs Michael Jordan‘s driver. NBC analyst and NBA veteran Brad Daugherty pulled the knot tighter by revealing extraordinary conditions for his survival.

From one NBA legend to another: Brad Daugherty listed unattainable goals for Michael Jordan and his playoff driver

Arguably the most successful African-American NASCAR racer, Bubba Wallace, began his Cup journey as a full-time driver in 2018. His runner-up finish in the Daytona 500 became the best performance by a rookie driver in that race’s prestigious history. However, a win eluded him until his powerful team-up with NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.

Bubba Wallace became Jordan’s preferred pick when the basketball legend forayed into stock car racing in 2021. The #23 driver registered his team’s first victory at the Talladega Superspeedway that same year. A feat he must necessarily repeat in the playoff race this weekend. Or, at the very least, finish as a runner-up.

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Brad Daugherty made that pronouncement in NBC’s race preview. Team owner of JTG Daugherty Racing, the five-time NBA All-Star winner, immersed himself in the world of motorsport after his retirement. With Wallace lacking wins or even a Top 5 finish at the Charlotte roval, the experienced insider proclaimed Talladega as his last resort.

Daugherty said, “Bubba Wallace…has to finish second place in his next two races. And he has got the roval looming. So this is his opportunity. He had a great chance last week at Texas, but couldn’t quite get it done. He’s really good at Talladega, so I think there is a ton of pressure on him to go out and try to win this race.”

Watch this story: Crushed Bubba Wallace Drops 2-Word Confession as Michael Jordan Loses Crown to Rick Hendrick

Disconcertingly, Wallace might have to trounce the season’s best racers to conquer Talladega. Including his teammate Tyler Reddick, vying for the same playoff spot.

23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace faces every playoff competitor in his challenging climb to Talladega Peak.

Bubba Wallace dominated the 1.5-mile Texas track with a pole in the race qualifier and maintained a Top 10 position throughout the race. With seven laps to go, the No. 23 was poised to fly past the checkered flag when a caution came up. Hendrick Motorsports‘s #24 driver, William Byron, stole his lead on the restart and confirmed the first playoff spot for the second round. The cost of one poor lap was written all over Wallce’s emotional interview later when he confessed, “I choked”.

Unfortunately, it infinitely raised the stakes for Michael Jordan’s team. A mammoth task, considering the Gibbs-Hendrick supremacy this season. Particularly, #5 Larson would attempt to regain his lead from the first round of the playoffs.

Furthermore, the possibility of non-playoff drivers acquiring the top spots could not be dismissed. Eric Jones, Kevin Harvick, and Chase Elliott have all displayed their expertise on the challenging track in the recent past. Especially Jones, the #43 driver for Legacy Motor Club has registered six Top 10 finishes in his previous 7 races in Talladega.

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In these circumstances, reserving first or second place in the coming races seems nearly insurmountable for Bubba Wallace and the 23XI team. Thankfully, the racer has the support of an enormous fanbase as he prepares to start the most difficult race of his career this weekend.