The NASCAR Cup event at Pocono Raceway on Sunday turned into a nightmarish race for 23XI Racing as brake failures led to severe crashes involving two of its drivers. Riley Herbst experienced a critical brake issue on Lap 41, leading to a wall collision with his No. 35 Toyota. Less than 15 laps later, teammate Bubba Wallace faced an even worse fate when a brake rotor exploded on his No. 23 Toyota, resulting in a hard crash. Both drivers were unharmed but forced to retire from the race, leaving Tyler Reddick as the sole 23XI entry to finish, albeit well behind the leaders. The focus keyword Riley Herbst Pocono brake failure was central to the unfolding drama that left the team in disarray.

Inside the harrowing brake failures that ended the race early

Initially, Herbst’s crash seemed to be caused by a tire issue, but investigation revealed broken brakes as the root cause. This problem extended to Wallace’s car only 13 laps later, when the brake rotor suddenly gave way, causing his car to collide violently with the barriers. Despite both incidents leading to Did Not Finish (DNF) results, neither driver sustained injuries during the accidents. Wallace finished 36th while Herbst came in 37th, each earning only a single point for their efforts.

Bubba Wallace described the moment his brakes gave out with frustration and disbelief:

“Nothing,” said Wallace when asked if he had any warning inside the car. I was going to battle the #17 [Chris Buescher] and the #2 [Austin Cindric] and by the time I was ready to touch the pedal it just went to the floor and the brakes exploded. I hate it, we’ve had two or three good races in-a-row and there goes the bad luck again. They told me there’s no such thing as bad luck, we create our own luck. I hate it for my guys. I hate it for McDonald’s.

—Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing driver

Wallace also expressed his mental readiness for the challenging Pocono track conditions, acknowledging the difficulty of overtaking and how the brake problem forced an early end to their efforts:

We knew it was going to be a grind and I was mentally prepared for that all day. As frustrating as it gets not being able to pass here in Pocono, we were going to just take our lumps and march our way through and set ourselves up for the end of the race, but the brakes just didn’t want to hang on that long.

—Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing driver

Riley Herbst recounts terrifying brake failure during his crash

Just like his teammate, Herbst was caught off guard by the sudden brake failure that sent him crashing into the wall. Having followed Pocono races closely since childhood, he knows the dangers all too well and described the incident as a frightening experience. He also mentioned struggling with a chassis adjustment before the failure struck. His brake rotor exploding caused him to lose complete control:

I’ve grown up watching these races at Pocono and seeing what happened to me happen to lot of other guys. It was a scary feeling for sure. I was just starting to get tight, just a bad adjustment on my part. Getting into (Turn) one, the brakes just went to the floor. A brake rotor exploded and I was along for the ride with our Monster Energy Camry XSE.

—Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing driver

Tyler Reddick tries to avoid brake issues amid team crisis

The sole remaining 23XI driver, Tyler Reddick in the No. 45 car, was alerted to the brake problems affecting his teammates during the race. As a precaution, his team brought him behind the wall to inspect the brakes in hopes of preventing a similar failure. He managed to finish the race but was scored in 32nd position, far from the top contenders.

Implications and outlook for 23XI Racing after Pocono struggles

The double brake failures at Pocono not only cost 23XI Racing two potential finishes but also heightened the pressure on the team’s drivers as the season progresses. Bubba Wallace’s DNF significantly narrows his margin above the playoff cut line, standing just 29 points clear of elimination danger. For both Wallace and Herbst, the Pocono brake failure serves as a harsh setback amid a season already marked by ups and downs. The incidents underscore the critical importance of brake system durability and safety at high-speed tracks like Pocono Raceway.

As 23XI Racing moves forward, addressing these brake issues will be essential to prevent future race-ending mishaps. Meanwhile, Tyler Reddick’s cautious approach at Pocono shows the team’s determination to minimize further damage while regrouping for upcoming races in the NASCAR Cup series.