Bubba Wallace entered the 2023 NASCAR season with high expectations after taking the No. 45 car to the round of 16 in the Owners’ Championship and winning a playoff race at Kansas Speedway against Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell.
It was proof that Wallace’s hard work was paying off as his success continued to grow. Today, NASCAR completed nine points-paying races, but the driver of the No. 23 car saw important struggles at this point.
Wallace has a top 5, two top 10s and a 19.4 average to start the year. With his popularity already growing, a NASCAR insider spoke about Wallace’s future and what he could become in the sport.
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NASCAR Insider Praises Bubba Wallace’s Future in the Sport
Wallace hasn’t been at the top of his game during the 2023 season, but there’s still plenty of time to turn things around. In fact, the driver of the No. 23 23XI Racing car is only 31 points away from the playoff cutoff line despite his struggles.
It hasn’t been easy, but Wallace earned his first top 10 finish since the third race of the season at Martinsville Speedway last weekend. Between his two rankings in the top 10, his difficulties were numerous.
Wallace said 23XI Racing should replace him after the race at Circuit of the Americas; however, the organization publicly supported him through his difficult times. Now, Martinsville could represent the start of a good run.
Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi jumped on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio to discuss Wallace’s future in NASCAR and it earned him praise as someone who still has work to do as a driver.
“I think (Bubba Wallace) has the potential to be one of those guys that you see on all the late night talk shows and all the cross promotions that you saw (Dale Earnhardt Sr.) and (Jeff Gordon) do back in the day. He’s got that personality, he’s engaging, he’s captivating, he’s funny. All those things you want. He just needs to have success on the race track to back him up. He’s starting to get there, but there is still a little way to go.
Jordan Bianchi on Bubba Wallace’s future in NASCAR
Earnhardt and Gordon helped bring NASCAR to its peak when their rivalry was at a fever pitch. Both drivers helped make NASCAR the sport it is today and Bianchi believes Wallace can be the next driver to make it happen.
NASCAR needs its star driver that people know even if they aren’t fans of the sport. The NFL has Patrick Mahomes, the NBA has LeBron James and the MLB has Shohei Ohtani. NASCAR does not have a famous, superstar driver.
Wallace can become this personality type. The only problem is he has to succeed on the track. This does not mean one victory per season. That means multiple wins every year and the 29-year-old is capable of doing just that if things start to click for the No. 23 team.
A bright future lies ahead for Wallace and expectations are undeniably high for him. The 23XI Racing driver may not become one of the greats, but he has the ability to make a massive impact in different areas of the sport.
