For the second week in a row, we have a playoff spoiler.
Sunday (Sept. 11), in just his second race behind the wheel of the No. 45, 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace earned his second career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Kansas Speedway in the Hollywood Casino 400. With the victory, earned by just over a second over 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin, Wallace becomes the first driver in the elimination era to win multiple races without having qualified for the drivers’ championship playoffs.
Two weeks after 23XI Racing number-swapped his way into the owner’s playoffs, Wallace entered the Kansas weekend as a favorite for a strong run, after showing top-five speed in the spring race at the facility.
After qualifying sixth, Wallace ran solidly in the top five throughout the first stage, finishing in fifth, but just like in the spring, a loose wheel forced the 23XI car back to pit road. Thankfully for the now-No. 45 crew it happened in stage two, and Wallace was able to recover into contention by the start of the final stage.
Long-run speed was the strength of the No. 45 Root Insurance Toyota, and so although Wallace fell to fourth on a lap 171 restart, he came back with a vengeance, taking back second place with a three-wide move around Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and William Byron with 86 laps to go.
Some good racing happening at the start of Stage 3! @BubbaWallace passes William Byron and Kyle Larson for second on the frontstretch. #NASCARPlayoffs // @USA_Network pic.twitter.com/t5JMwBmLhV
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 11, 2022
With 68 circuits remaining, a power move around the bottom off of turn four gave Wallace the lead for the first time all afternoon, and the No. 45 Root Insurance Toyota opened up a hefty gap on Bowman behind.
.@BubbaWallace is the leader at @kansasspeedway. https://t.co/zBC4Wb2oca pic.twitter.com/biNrRCbWnj
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 11, 2022
With 54 to go, Wallace’s fellow Toyota drivers Christopher Bell and Hamlin got past the Hendrick duo, and after green-flag stops, the Toyota trio locked out the top three.
With 15 laps to go, Hamlin passed Bell for second and set his sights on the car he co-owns. Through lapped traffic, Hamlin closed all the way to just over a second. It wasn’t enough.
Bell completed a Toyota top-three lockout, while Alex Bowman ended his strong day in fourth. Martin Truex Jr. completed the top five, while Byron, Ross Chastain, Larson, Ryan Blaney and Daniel Suarez…
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