Bubba Wallace’s chance for victory at Richmond unraveled after a critical pit stop error by the 23XI Racing crew during Stage 3 of the Cook Out 400. Despite leading the majority of laps and winning Stage 2, Wallace’s race took a significant hit when his pit stop pit stopped poorly and led to tire trouble that nearly ended his day.
Wallace arrived at Richmond with strong momentum, starting the race in seventh position and driving consistently throughout the event. By the conclusion of Stage 2, the 31-year-old had worked his way up to third place and looked firmly in control of his race strategy. However, when the green-flag pit cycle began in the final stage, the routine stop quickly turned problematic.
The Critical Pit Stop Error and Emergency Response
During his scheduled pit service, Wallace’s #23 car was hurried out of the pit box before the front-left tire was fully secured. Immediately after leaving the pit stall, that tire came loose and detached from the vehicle. Such an issue could have resulted in a severe penalty if Wallace had returned to the track under those unsafe conditions.
Reacting swiftly, Wallace redirected his car to the pit box of Chase Briscoe, who races in the #19 car, hoping to rely on Briscoe’s pit crew for assistance. Recognizing the situation, Briscoe’s team acted quickly to reattach the loose tire, preventing what might have otherwise been a disqualifying penalty.
Despite the repair, Wallace was penalized for pitting outside his assigned stall, forcing him to restart at the back of the lead lap. This setback crushed his competitive position and dashed his hopes for a strong finish, as he fell behind the rest of the field despite showing consistent speed throughout the weekend.
Wallace’s Decline in Race Position and Final Standing
After serving his penalty, Wallace struggled to regain lost ground on the track and ultimately finished in 28th place — a significant drop from his earlier race standing. Even though the mishap was a blow, the car’s pace confirmed Wallace’s potential for future races. He remains a strong contender for the NASCAR playoffs after demonstrating solid vehicle performance at Richmond.
Teammate Tyler Reddick Describes Richmond as 23XI Racing’s Worst Night
Bubba Wallace’s difficulties were compounded by problems faced by his teammate Tyler Reddick. In an incident around Lap 182, Daniel Suarez collided with Ty Gibbs, which caused Gibbs to crash into Reddick’s #45 Toyota. This collision left Reddick’s car heavily damaged and himself dropping from one of the fastest cars on the track to the slowest, ultimately finishing 34th.
Reddick openly called the Richmond weekend the “worst night” for 23XI Racing, as the team departed with far fewer points than anticipated. The combination of the crash involving Reddick and the pit lane error affecting Wallace made this outing particularly frustrating for the team.
“Quite a bit [of damage], [It] went from a car that was one of the fastest on the track to one of the slowest, so yeah, it affected it quite a bit. Yeah, it’s pretty much worst case scenario for us,” Tyler Reddick said via Frontstretch
Next Steps for Wallace and 23XI Racing After Richmond Setbacks
Following such a disappointing race, 23XI Racing will need to evaluate their pit communication protocols to avoid any repetition of the costly pit stop blunder. Wallace himself declined to comment after the race, focusing instead on preparing for the season’s penultimate event at Darlington.
Looking ahead, Wallace aims to regroup and sharpen his performance as he shifts his priority toward the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, where strong execution is essential. Meanwhile, the team must recover from this rough Richmond outing and try to build momentum in the closing races of the season.