As the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series approaches its midpoint, the 23XI Racing team, featuring drivers Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, finds itself in a precarious position despite currently sitting within the playoff threshold. Bubba Wallace NASCAR performance concerns have emerged after a challenging stretch of races, where neither Wallace nor Reddick are seen as Championship contenders based on their performances across the first 17 events. The team’s struggles stem from inconsistent speed and numerous race incidents, signaling an urgent need for improvement.
Tyler Reddick, who clinched the 2024 regular season title, has yet to secure a victory this year and appears to lack the pace he displayed previously. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace’s season has been marked by difficulty finishing races, suffering six DNFs (Did Not Finish), contributing to mounting concerns about the competitiveness of both drivers and their cars. FOX Sports analyst Kevin Harvick voiced these concerns during the latest Happy Hour podcast, emphasizing a decline in performance.
Kevin Harvick Highlights Deficiencies in 23XI’s Racing Speed
Kevin Harvick expressed growing apprehension about the overall speed of the 23XI Racing cars this season, particularly the No. 45 driven by Bubba Wallace.
“I would say there are some concerns about the 23XI speed in general,”
Harvick said.
“I don’t think Reddick has been as fast; I think Bubba started really well and has been kind of average in a lot of the most recent weeks. To me, the speed part from the 45 car is concerning to me. He’s done a good job with his experience in keeping cars in races and getting finishes out of them, but that overall raw speed — I haven’t seen it from either one of them in several weeks.”
—Kevin Harvick, FOX Sports Analyst
Harvick’s observations reflect a broader worry about 23XI’s ability to consistently contend for top positions. The team’s speed issues have manifested despite efforts to maintain reliability and racecraft, highlighting the technical challenges faced this season.
Impact of 23XI’s Expansion to Three Cars and Technical Setbacks
The 2025 season introduced a significant change for 23XI Racing with the addition of Riley Herbst behind the wheel of the No. 35 Toyota, marking the team’s expansion to three full-time entries. However, the transition for Herbst from the NASCAR Xfinity Series to the more demanding Cup level has proven difficult, compounding the team’s woes. The entire 23XI lineup experienced brake problems during the recent Pocono Raceway event, severely affecting their race results and pushing all three drivers outside the top 30.
Co-Owner Denny Hamlin Speaks Out on Team’s Challenges
23XI co-owner and veteran driver Denny Hamlin openly acknowledged the team’s disappointing performance at Pocono and expressed frustration over their inability to assemble strong race results. Speaking on the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin described the situation as “painful,” comparing 23XI’s struggles to those of their stablemate organization, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), and highlighting the gap in performance.
“I’m looking at 23XI versus JGR, saying, ‘What the hell.’ That’s what I’m looking at. I can’t compare different manufacturers, different stuff,”
Hamlin remarked.
“I can compare what I know our resources are, and I can’t say it’s speed. Maybe a little bit of it is speed, but both our cars were good in practice. The 23 was going to qualify well, the 45 did qualify well. It’s just other stuff. They cannot put together races. Like, from green to checkered. It’s not one person or one thing.”
—Denny Hamlin, 23XI Co-owner
Hamlin pointed out that mechanical failures and crashes beyond the drivers’ control had greatly impacted their results recently. He praised Bubba Wallace’s mental approach, noting the driver’s positive attitude despite the setbacks.
“Mechanicals just killed the 23 this week. Other people’s wrecks have killed the 23 over the last few weeks. Nothing he’s doing. What I really appreciate is Bubba Wallace’s attitude. I mean, a 180. Weeks like this, it would have to be full therapy mode in past years. But I really appreciate [his attitude]. It makes it so much easier for us to fix these problems while we’re not trying to fix an attitude problem as well. It just makes it easier. It’s on us to step up for him, at this point.”
—Denny Hamlin, 23XI Co-owner
Looking Ahead: 23XI Racing’s Path to Recovery
The combination of diminishing speed, reliability issues, and adaptation challenges for the new team member has placed urgent pressure on 23XI Racing to identify and resolve its performance problems. For Bubba Wallace NASCAR performance concerns remain a pressing topic, as regaining competitive speed will be essential for the team to contend effectively in upcoming races and maintain playoff viability.
With the season’s key events approaching and heightened competition from rival teams, 23XI’s ability to leverage its resources and support both Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick will be critical to reversing their fortunes. How quickly the team can improve race execution and technical setups could determine their chances of a successful 2025 campaign.