Coming into the Coke Zero Sugar 400, many drivers knew that this was make or break for them. Only two slots were up for grabs, and way too many eager candidates. When the race concluded, Bubba Wallace was not among the lucky two to grab a berth.
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Wallace Jr. finished the race in a fine fifth place, but it wasn’t enough to ensure that he books his place. So, the 26-year-old will have to wait for another year for another crack. The same could not be said of Jimmie Johnson, who is set to bow out after this season.
Admittedly, both drivers had ample opportunities to secure a high enough position in Saturday’s race to clinch a playoff berth. Wallace pinned all his hopes on winning the race to truly stand a chance of qualifying.
The African-American driver led the pack late in the race and looked to be in prime position to win. Unfortunately, he picked up some damage in a late wreck and tumbled down to 20th for a restart.
What did Bubba Wallace say?
Luckily, the 26-year-old Richard Petty Motorsports driver managed to keep the faith and made some inroads back to the top 5. Sadly, William Byron won the race, and Matt DiBenedetto earned enough points to qualify for the playoffs as well.
The driver was furious with Joey Logano for causing the wreck and costing him and several others the race. In spite of the initial anger, he was still happy for William Byron.
He tweeted, “Thru the anger, I’m freaking stoked for ole Willy B! Pretty cool! [at WilliamByron] What could’ve been. We’ll never know. Onto the next [rock on emoji].”
With his playoff shot gone, Bubba Wallace can now race in the remaining races with nothing to lose. The same can also be said of the many drivers who failed to make the cut.
Wallace has now reached the top 10 on nine occasions, and this 5th place finish is his highest of the season. However, his highest career finish was 3rd place at the 2019 Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
