Going into Sunday’s Straight Discuss 400, Bubba Wallace’s 2025 season had principally adopted a selected script: run properly and accumulate stage factors early earlier than being concerned in an incident and faltering late.
On Sunday, nevertheless, Wallace and the No. 23 group put collectively a whole day at Homestead-Miami Speedway that culminated in a third-place end.
Wallace certified ninth and completed Stage 1 in twelfth, however his Toyota Camry got here alive in Stage 2. Wallace completed fifth in Stage 2, introducing himself as a participant for the race win.
When the pay window opened in Stage 3, Wallace’s No. 23 continued to enhance, whereas his pit crew continued to tear off fast pit stops. After Ryan Blaney’s engine detonated on Lap 207, Wallace’s pit crew bought him off pit highway first, setting Wallace up because the chief for the following restart.
Wallace was in a position to draw back from the sector on the restart, and whereas Alex Bowman and race winner Kyle Larson have been finally in a position to get round him, he introduced dwelling a third-place end on a 40-point day.
“We have been getting kicked within the enamel within the final stage of each race,” Wallace instructed Fox Sports activities. “To lastly shut one out, this feels good.”
“I can not even hold my head about this. As pissed off as I wish to be at myself, it is a good day.”
