Bubba Wallace let second place get away in final Martinsville restart
Mixed emotions for Bubba Wallace after back-to-back podiums at Miami and Martinsville.
Bubba Wallace believes he could have finished runner-up in last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville.
Wallace was running behind race leader Denny Hamlin on lap 317 of 400, when the race was neutralised for a spinning Penske Ford of reigning champion Joey Logano.
But at the restart, the 23XI Racing driver couldn’t hold off the similar Toyota of polesitter Christopher Bell, who went on to complete a 1-2 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing.
While Wallace was delighted to help Toyota secure a podium lockout, the 31-year-old also felt that a second-place finish was on the cards for him at the short 0.5-mile oval.
“I’m trying to scratch my head on what I could have done differently,” he said. “My restarts were terrible. One of my best traits, so need to go back and study that.
“What a great day. Continuing to rebound from the start of our season. Super proud of our group here at the 23 team. McDonald’s Toyota Camry was fast all weekend.
“That final restart, I let that second get away. I don’t know if I had anything for Denny. It would have been fun to try.
“But all in all, hell of a day for Toyota. Top three. That’s nice. Keep the momentum going, having fun.”
Wallace has enjoyed a resurgence in form this year, with Martinsville marking his second consecutive podium finish of 2025.
The Alabama-born driver has moved up to eighth in the championship, ahead of last year’s title-winner Logano.
Wallace’s performances have earned the praise of NASCAR veteran and Martinsville winner Hamlin, who co-owns the 23XI team Wallace drives for.
“They’re running like the #45 [Tyler Reddick] during the summer!," said Hamlin. "I told you guys that the new crew chief [Charles Denike] was going to be a game-changer over there. He’s getting the most out of Bubba.
“I want to give Bubba his due, too. It’s not all the crew chief. Bubba has really stepped up and been a leader with the team. He’s got a lot of confidence right now, which goes a long, long way. So, I think he doesn’t need to change anything. Just keep doing what he’s doing.”
