Bubba Wallace left North Wilkesboro Speedway with a solid result, but he made it clear that 23XI Racing still has work to do. Wallace finished sixth in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Window World 450, earning valuable championship points after a clean race at the historic short track.
It was the first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro in 30 years, and only six drivers finished on the lead lap. Wallace crossed the line as the final driver in that group. The result also helped the No. 23 team bounce back after a disappointing finish at EchoPark Speedway.
Although Wallace welcomed the strong points, he said the team still needs more speed to challenge the best cars every week.
Bubba Wallace Says NASCAR Cup Series Race Rewarded Clean Execution
The NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro tested every team across 450 laps. Drivers had to deal with heat, tire wear, traffic, and strategy throughout nearly 300 miles of racing.
Wallace praised his team for avoiding the mistakes that often change the outcome of short-track races.
“It was grueling. The heat factor, I mean, it was just humid inside the car. When you can just focus on things that you can control, the heart rate stays somewhat at a decent level, and you’re able to manage a race better.”
He also highlighted how smoothly the No. 23 Toyota performed from start to finish.
“We had no hiccups. No incidents on track, no yellow line to go under and get penalized. Just a good, solid night. Obviously want more, but it was good enough for sixth.”
The sixth-place finish came one week after a late penalty at EchoPark Speedway cost Wallace a chance to finish second.
Bubba Wallace Says 23XI Racing Still Needs More Speed
Even with another strong finish, Wallace said 23XI Racing has not yet reached the level needed to compete with the top organizations every week in the NASCAR Cup Series.
He said the recent results have kept the team’s confidence high.
“It didn’t really take away the confidence. The way I look at it is two back-to-back good races for us. We’re firing on all cylinders when we need to.”
Wallace also admitted that the team’s overall pace must improve if it wants to fight consistently for wins.
“We still need a ticket performance. We’ve got three JGR cars in front of us, and no one in our camp is happy about that. We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but it’s a step in the right direction.”
Looking ahead to next week’s event, where he is the defending winner, Wallace remained focused on earning another victory.
“That’s good, but winning there last year doesn’t guarantee us to win it again. We’ve got to go and work for it.”
NASCAR Cup Series Finish Gives Bubba Wallace Valuable Momentum
Joey Logano controlled the NASCAR Cup Series race by leading 323 laps to earn his first win of the 2026 season and end a 45-race winless streak. Denny Hamlin finished in second place, with Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, and Shane van Gisbergen trailing behind. Wallace rounded out the group of lead-lap finishers in sixth.
Wallace admitted he did not expect the field to spread out so quickly during the race.
“I guess I was surprised at just how many cars were on the lead lap. I went from the lead to almost going a lap down. It was just nice to be on that side of the ball where we were in the front group and didn’t have to really worry about it.”
The sixth-place result gives Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing another strong points finish as the NASCAR Cup Series regular season continues. While the team still wants more speed, its clean execution and consistent finishes could become important in the race for a playoff spot.
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