Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing have received a stark performance warning amid a distressing slide during the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, drawing concern from fans, team members, and insiders alike as the high-profile team struggles to meet their preseason playoff expectations. Despite being backed by the star power of Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, both Wallace and his teammate Tyler Reddick find themselves in a frustrating position, unable to secure a race victory as the season enters a critical phase.
Wallace currently sits at No. 10 in the series standings, while Reddick is sixth, and although both drivers have managed multiple top five and top 10 finishes, the elusive win has consistently slipped through their grasp. These underwhelming results have left 23XI Racing at sixth in the owner standings, a far cry from the dominance many expected at the onset of the year. Even with moments of promise on the track, continued setbacks have prevented the team from realizing its full potential, causing mounting tension and concern within the NASCAR garage.
The heightened sense of urgency around Bubba Wallace’s situation intensified this week after respected NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck, reporting for The Athletic, openly sounded the alarm about 23XI Racing’s recent form. According to Gluck,
“23XI, they’re weird, man. They’ve fallen off. What’s up with that? I don’t get that at all.”
Gluck pointed to specific instances, noting,
“Reddick might’ve had the fastest car at Texas, he just never got the track position,”
and he shared that even though Reddick felt confident at Texas, expecting comparable speed at Kansas, the team ultimately “just didn’t really show anything.”
Wallace himself has faced issues during crucial races. In one key moment cited by Gluck, Wallace was running near sixth place before encountering a penalty, effectively ending his hopes for a strong finish.
“He had a penalty and then he was gone, you know, which happens a lot these days,”
Gluck explained, emphasizing how a single setback now has more lasting consequences and often spells the end of a driver’s day unless it occurs very early in the race.
Despite these flashes of competitiveness and the addition of a third driver, Riley Herbst, to the 23XI Racing lineup for 2025, expectations continue to weigh heavily on Bubba Wallace and the entire team. The inability to close out races and transform strong runs into wins has left fans frustrated, while doubts among racing insiders ripple through the paddock. Even with periodic top-tens and the occasional charge toward the front, the prevailing sense is one of underachievement, disappointment, and growing intensity.
As the 2025 season rolls forward, the performance warning for Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing carries significant implications. If improvement does not come soon, the team’s playoff hopes could unravel further, jeopardizing both its championship aspirations and its reputation within NASCAR’s fiercely competitive environment. Whether this warning will ignite renewed determination or deepen the struggles for Bubba Wallace and his team remains a tense question heading into the critical months ahead.
