Wallace comes up short after late lockup in New Hampshire

Bubba Wallace didn’t have a great driving car Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

But as it turns out, that might’ve been key to a strong afternoon and a much-needed turnaround with the Chase drawing near.

“That’s the thing I kind of hate about this place,” Wallace said after a runner-up run in Sunday’s Dollar Tree 301. “The last time we ran good was one of the worst-driving cars and I finished third. [This was] the worst driving car we had this year and I finished second.

“I’ve just been saying it all week long. And I think I finally know [to] throw out the field that I’m chasing, which is hard to do as a race car driver. Searching for that right-front [tire], It’s never really there. But we fought, man.”

The unique track known at the "Magic Mile" is notorious for testing drivers, forcing them to complete every lap with precision, lest they miss their line and add lap time. It’s a unique challenge, but one that gave prime opportunity for Wallace to find his groove on Sunday afternoon.

“I had a nice day by myself, just regrouping,” Wallace said of his run. “Got the head right and knew I had to fight all day.

“That’s what it takes, and where it starts is with these people on this No. 23 team. They push me to be the absolute best. And I fail them a lot, but they stick behind me and it’s super cool. I appreciate that.”

Wallace began to show emotion as he talked about his team. 23XI Racing has enjoyed a breakout year in 2026, securing seven wins between Tyler Reddick and Corey Heim. But Wallace hasn’t been able to partake in the spoils, going winless on the season.

There was a time when he ran on par with Reddick, sitting as high as second in the standings with five finishes of 11th or better to open the year. But as the the cold months gave way to spring and summer, inconsistency reared its head and sent Wallace to the back half of the Chase grid. He’s remained competitive enough to stay on the right side of the cutline, but has spent the past month 14th in the standings and well short of victory.

That all changed Sunday. In a race where chaos found many contenders, Wallace’s No. 23 team consistently executed and the veteran rarely put a wheel wrong, rising to second and chasing down friend Ryan Blaney for the win in the closing laps.

For a brief moment, it looked like Wallace might catch Blaney in traffic. But he locked up his left-front tire in the final laps and deal the final death blow to his winning chances.

From there he limped to the checkered flag in second, .586s short of victory.

“I picked up a big vibration on the left-front and that was kind of it,” Wallace said. “Didn’t need to make our great day go to crap, just salvaged what we had.”

While he didn’t get the win he sought, Wallace did give his No. 23 team a much-needed good points day. While he didn’t outright clinch a spot in the Chase, the Alabama native gave himself a 75-point buffer heading to the final regular season race at Daytona International Speedway.

He’ll need just two points to lock himself into the Chase field, where Wallace can set about trying to turn the New Hampshire result into postseason momentum.