Bubba Wallace’s 2025 season has been a rollercoaster, but his recent victory at the Brickyard secured a spot in the NASCAR playoffs, putting the spotlight on the intense focus from Denny Hamlin on Bubba Wallace playoffs. With the postseason now underway, team co-owner Denny Hamlin has addressed Wallace’s playoff prospects, providing his perspective as Wallace seeks to advance further in the championship hunt.
Throughout much of the year, Bubba Wallace hovered near the cutoff line for playoff contention, facing skepticism about his ability to claim a postseason berth. At the pivotal Brickyard event, Wallace silenced doubters by not just winning, but also becoming the first Black driver to capture victory on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. This landmark achievement breathed new life into his season and momentarily muted critics who questioned his place among NASCAR’s elite competitors.
With the next round of postseason racing underway, Wallace’s journey is far from finished. He currently holds a 25-point buffer above the elimination line following the first playoff race, but NASCAR’s unique format means every stage, pit stop, and decision carries weight. As the battles intensify, team co-owner Denny Hamlin has weighed in with measured optimism and clarity on his driver’s outlook.
Hamlin’s Measured Support as Playoff Pressure Mounts
Wallace’s determination was evident during the Cook Out 500, where he qualified eighth and finished in sixth place. This result moved him to fifth in the playoff rankings, offering a degree of comfort for the No. 23 team. However, as anyone familiar with NASCAR knows, margins can evaporate in an instant, and no advantage is fully secure. With two races still to go before the field narrows to the Round of 12, questions regarding Wallace’s playoff durability prompted a candid response from Hamlin:
“Certainly they’ve got some good tracks these next couple weeks and certainly have the speed to do it,”
—Denny Hamlin, co-owner and playoff rival
Hamlin’s confidence has roots in Wallace’s track record at upcoming circuits. At World Wide Technology Raceway, Wallace previously started within the top 10 and delivered steady performances, while at Bristol Motor Speedway he notably finished third in the 2024 race and also secured a tenth-place result in 2020. These achievements reinforce Hamlin’s belief that Wallace possesses the pace and composure needed to handle high-stakes nights.
Despite the upside, Hamlin recognizes that advancement hinges on disciplined execution at every level. He emphasized:
“As long as they focus on the execution of a race, then I think they’ll be fine,”
—Denny Hamlin, co-owner and playoff rival
Execution, as Hamlin points out, means steering clear of on-track incidents, avoiding mechanical breakdowns, and minimizing errors during pit stops. Even the slightest mistake over the next two events could slim or erase Wallace’s points cushion, placing his playoff ambitions in immediate jeopardy.
Success at this stage relies on more than just race pace—it demands vigilance, a united team, and unwavering focus from Wallace herself. If they manage to stay mistake-free, advancing deep into the playoffs is not only possible but expected. Yet, qualifying results at World Wide Technology Raceway suggest added obstacles ahead.
Qualifying Tests Wallace’s Resolve at Gateway
The playoff spotlight shifted to World Wide Technology Raceway, where qualifying delivered both drama and high stakes for Bubba Wallace and the 23XI Racing team. On this day, Denny Hamlin, balancing roles as both team co-owner and fierce postseason rival, dominated proceedings by capturing pole position with a flying run of 32.330 seconds, demonstrating his championship intent.
For Wallace, the session was less ideal. Taking to the track in the No. 23 entry, he qualified 14th with a time of 32.739 seconds, placing him squarely in the competitive maelstrom of mid-pack starters. Although not optimal, Wallace and his camp understand that survival and strategy count for more than starting position at Gateway, given the unpredictable nature of the track and frequency of cautions.
Building on prior success at similar intermediate circuits throughout 2025, Wallace’s approach at Gateway is pragmatic: withstand the high-risk early stage, avoid any trouble, and allow pit strategy an opportunity to vault him up the order. The pressure is immense, not just from the pole-sitting Hamlin but also the ever-present threat of playoff elimination and the challenging dynamics of the Gateway layout.
Both Wallace and Hamlin enter this stretch knowing that Gateway’s lengthy green-flag runs and sporadic cautions will test adaptability. For Wallace, progress hinges on gaining positions through crisp execution, chasing valuable stage points, and steering clear of costly errors. Starting 14th guarantees a tense climb, where each pass and each error-free lap keeps his playoff hopes alive, while any misstep can quickly turn the quest for the Championship 4 from likely to long shot.
What This Means for the NASCAR Playoff Battle
Bubba Wallace has already made history in 2025, earning his place among the top title contenders and turning heads at one of the sport’s most iconic venues. But as the playoff gauntlet intensifies, the difference between survival and elimination grows ever slimmer. Denny Hamlin’s belief in Wallace is grounded in speed and preparation, yet he reiterates that perfect execution is the only way forward in the relentless NASCAR postseason.
The next two races will test every element of Wallace’s campaign, from car performance to pit road discipline to mental resilience under pressure. With the spotlight firmly on the 23XI Racing operation, all eyes will be on Bubba Wallace as he navigates both physical and mental challenges that will determine whether his postseason move forward becomes a deep championship run or a cautionary tale of what might have been.
