Through five races, 23XI still sits one-two in the Chase standings, and runs like the #23 of Bubba Wallace put forward today will maintain that grip over the competition. 

Welcome back to Around the Grid, after taking a week off we decided to follow the ever so hot #23 of Bubba Wallace this week. Seeing this team excel in the spring is something that’s been needed for years and years, and it’s something I’m getting used to after last season’s similar success. It seems the switch to crew chief Charles Denike has changed the entire swing of momentum for the team. 

23XI as a whole seems faster than ever, with teammate Tyler Reddick becoming the first driver ever to win the first three races in a row, and Wallace has had similar speed (just without the victory part, sadly). 

The success was poised to continue early on, with Wallace putting in a fantastic fourth place qualifying effort; A trend that was common among the best Toyota teams. 

Immediately, Wallace found a steady stronghold in 5th place as stage one crawled along. Drivers largely remained calm, but that would be a regular sight for fans and spotters, as the race would include only a single natural caution, the first at the track since 2019. 

“If we can get the front woke up, we’ll be in the ballgame”, Wallace said on lap 11. 

With Toyota teammates battling at the front end with the likes of Hendrick, Wallace continued to harp on the issues with how tight the car was in corner entry. After adjustments, Wallace ended stage one in a solid fifth place. 

Even as the car was unruly, Wallace’s team gave support to the drivers ability to save his tires on the long run, a skill that paid dividends all day. 

After a slow stage start that saw Wallace fall down to 10th place, fighting off a hungry Ryan Preece, the Xfinity #23 XSE Camry came alive and began to battle with his teammate Reddick. 

“Still need more, I’m in tune with the front end, but I still need more,” said Wallace on lap 116.

The race continued to trudge on as the capability of the cars’ long run ability continued to be tested by fire (boy imagine if we didn’t have stage breaks!) and Wallace was no different. 

Unlike his TRD teammates however, Wallace fought the car’s handling and held on to prevent falling down the grid. Keeping position wasn’t the only main priority for Wallace, as his wife Amanda is expecting their second child any day. As stage two reached a crescendo, Wallace took the time to check in. 

“How’s my baby mama doing? No news is good news right?” said Wallace to his team. 

Juggling consistency in the fastest series of #23 Toyotas you’ve had in your career is one thing, but managing the stress of impending childbirth at the same time? Kudos to Wallace. 

Even after adjustment and adjustment, Wallace just could not find the consistency in the car that he needed all day, and continued to fight it while trying to hold his position in the top 10. 

“Doing everything I can to get this motherf**ker to turn, I can get about 5 degrees of steering,” said Wallace on lap 205. 

The race’s first and only caution for incident came on lap 211, as Connor Zilisch’s rookie year from Hell continued with a spin out on the backstretch in 33rd, setting up the #23 team with a chance to get some position. 

The car would give Wallace its biggest fit in the final run of the race. as the #23 fell from 5th to 10th. Fighting off a hungry Brad Keselowski and his passing Reddick in the final few laps, Wallace brought the car home in 9th after a long, green flag dominant race in Northeast Vegas.

With the dust settled, Wallace finds himself 61 points behind teammate Reddick for the first spot in the Chase. For a driver with a historically sound ability in the summer stretch, Wallace is stacking up points at a meaningful time. Speed as fast as today will inevitably result in a win sooner or later. 

The Cup Series returns from Darlington Raceway for the *unofficial* spring throwback race.

Green flag drops from the Lady in Black at 12:00 PM PST on FS1.