Denny Hamlin provided a measured Denny Hamlin NASCAR playoffs update following a tough outcome for 23XI Racing in the opening race of the Round of 12 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last Sunday. The Joe Gibbs Racing-affiliated team, home to Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, left Loudon with disappointing results, raising questions about their path forward in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
23XI Racing Falters at New Hampshire
Opening the critical playoff round at the New Hampshire track, both Wallace and Reddick struggled to find pace, finishing 21st and 23rd in the 2025 Mobil 1 301. These results starkly contrasted their previously solid showings, with expectations raised by consistent performances earlier this season, particularly from Wallace, who had maintained a steady rhythm and entered this phase with a significant cushion above the playoff elimination cut after Bristol.
Drivers Voice Concerns Over Performance
The race exposed notable struggles for the pair. Both Reddick and Wallace reported issues with car handling and speed, expressing their frustrations about falling behind their competition. As Hamlin noted about the disparity between their team’s results and the benchmark set by Joe Gibbs Racing, also a Toyota manufacturer partner, the tone was clear.
“It seemed like wherever we were, they were ten spots behind. If we were mediocre, they were below mediocre. Just didn’t have the speed, didn’t have the handling. Not good,”
said the No. 11 driver, Denny Hamlin.
Playoff Picture Grows Tighter
The repercussions of the underperformance leave Wallace and Reddick dangerously close to elimination, trailing the cutoff line by 27 and 23 points, respectively. Even so, Hamlin maintains the view that 23XI Racing is not facing a must-win situation just yet. He argued that with two races remaining—at Kansas and the Charlotte Roval—there remains room for a turnaround if the team can capitalize on opportunity.
“Must-win is you’re below 30 points out going into the last race. With two races to go, there’s too much other stuff that can happen. You can go out and have yourself a 50-point day at Kansas, and next thing you know, I bet you’re going to be minus five, maybe flat,”
Hamlin explained.
Focus Shifts to Kansas and Beyond
Hamlin clarified that achieving such a rebound would require near-perfect execution, equivalent to running at the front in every race stage and finishing among the top three—a demanding ask, but not impossible if the team finds speed. While opinions may differ on whether the current deficit equates to a must-win scenario, the next two tracks provide 23XI Racing with their final opportunities to mount a playoff challenge.
With the Denny Hamlin NASCAR playoffs update spotlighting a team at a crossroads, all attention now moves to Kansas, where both Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick must outperform expectations to keep their title hopes alive. As the playoffs intensify, the pressure mounts, raising the stakes for every driver and team aiming to advance to the next round.
