During the Go Bowling at the Glen race at Watkins Glen International on August 10, 2025, Bubba Wallace delivered a notable performance for 23XI Racing, finishing eighth in the final standings. Despite this surprising top-10 result in the 220.5-mile, 90-lap event, Wallace expressed a candid view of his team‘s capabilities and the challenges faced on the track.
Wallace qualified in 15th position with a best lap time of 72.41 seconds and a top speed of 121.80 mph, placing him 0.45 seconds behind Ryan Blaney of Team Penske who secured the pole position. Early in the race, he finished the first stage in 20th place and slipped further back to finish stage two nine spots down, trailing Austin Cindric. However, he managed to regain momentum in the final stage to secure a spot in the top ten.
Despite the improvement, Wallace remained realistic about his team‘s potential on road courses, stating in an interview with NBC News:
“Indy was life-changing. It allowed me to come here and not harp on all of the mistakes that I usually make at a road course and figure out how to make less. I think we did that. I don’t think our car was capable of winning at all, but 10th to 12th place is where we determined our team is a couple months ago, and we exceeded that, so that’s a win. I appreciate everyone on this Toyota Camry. It looked good.”
“My suit was the best one in the game. All around fun weekend. The big boss was here. MJ (Michael Jordan, co-owner, 23XI Racing) was here, so good to get him a couple of top 10s,” he added.
Following the race, Wallace dropped one position in the NASCAR Cup Series standings and now sits 11th overall. He has led 136 laps this season, with an average starting position of 16.792 and an average finish of 17.75 across 24 starts.
Bubba Wallace’s Perspective on Teammate Rivalry and Personal Growth
Earlier in the 2025 season, Bubba Wallace opened up about feeling pressure from his teammate Tyler Reddick during a conversation on the Happy Hour podcast hosted by NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick. Wallace admitted that witnessing Reddick’s success fueled his own competitive drive rather than jealousy.
He spoke candidly about the personal accountability he has taken to improve his performance, saying:
“Seeing the success of the 45, not from a jealousy standpoint, but it’s like ‘I have the same stuff,’ and I feel like I’m just as competitive as Tyler. I put all that weight on me, that pressure on me. So, I’m back in the gym, and nobody’s telling me, ‘Hey, you need to work out to run better; you need to be in more meetings to understand better.’ I took that upon myself as, like, ‘I’m doing just enough to get by, and that’s not okay.” [05:20 onwards]
Currently, Wallace holds 610 points and stands 11th in the Cup Series points rankings, trailing Reddick by 91 points, who is seventh with a strong season record including one pole position and multiple top finishes. Wallace has earned one win, ten top-ten finishes, and four top-five results this year, demonstrating consistent competitiveness despite the internal challenges.
Significance of Wallace’s Comments for 23XI Racing’s Future
Bubba Wallace’s frank evaluation of his performance and the 23XI Racing car highlights the ongoing hurdles faced by the team, especially on demanding road courses such as Watkins Glen. His commitment to self-improvement and acknowledgment of the car’s limitations suggest a realistic yet determined mindset, crucial for future growth in the highly competitive NASCAR Cup Series.
With co-owner Michael Jordan present and celebrations surrounding the top-10 finishes, the team is encouraged to build on these momentum points. Wallace’s ability to exceed recent expectations despite the challenges reflects a promising outlook for 23XI Racing’s development and their positioning in the standings as the season continues.