Bubba Wallace aims for season-changing win at Kansas Speedway

Bubba Wallace was on top of the racing world before the NASCAR Cup Series took the green flag at Talladega on April 21. 

After consecutive top-10 finishes at Martinsville and Texas, Wallace found himself ninth in the Cup Series points and with Talladega being one of his best tracks, it seemed he was set for a career year in the NASCAR Cup Series. 

Unfortunately for him, wrecks at Talladega and Dover – neither caused by Wallace – have dropped him from solidly inside the Cup Series playoff picture to being the first man out in 17th, two points behind Chris Buescher. 

The month of May could catapult Wallace back into the provisional playoff picture, though, with Darlington and Charlotte being tracks where he finished inside the top five in 2023. He also ran second at North Wilkesboro in the 2023 All-Star Race and while that event doesn’t pay points, it does pay $1 million to the winner. 

Wallace’s best chance to get back to victory lane in May, however, comes this weekend, at the track where he earned his last win in September, 2022: the Kansas Speedway. 

Wallace got around Alex Bowman for the lead late in the 2022 fall race at Kansas, holding off 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin for his second career win. After two weeks where fast race cars have been torn up by elements outside of Wallace’s control, he has a shot at Kansas to turn his season around in a big way. 

Wallace will have to go through Lady Luck to grab the checkered flag on Sunday – it was a flat tire while running second that knocked him out of contention last fall at Kansas – but if he does that, he’ll likely be in the top five when the pay window opens. 

Title favorites Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin will no doubt be looking to add to their growing rivalry, but Wallace might just be the Cinderella story who pulls through and defeats the heavy hitters. A win is not guaranteed for Wallace and the No. 23 team this season. If presented with a shot at victory on Sunday, there is no doubt they will take it. 

Wallace – who faces +1500 odds to win at Kansas, per DraftKings as of Thursday – has a chance to flip his season around and lock himself into the playoffs. Now, it all comes down to execution.