Bubba Wallace deal major blow to rival’s playoff hopes

Bubba Wallace amazed galore this play and astir wholly closed the doorway to the playoffs connected 1 of his rivals. Instead of warring for points, present that operator volition astir apt request a triumph to propulsion himself into the top.

The 23XI Racing squad operator entered the Brickyard 400 astatine Indianapolis Motor Speedway supra the qualifying line. However, his summertime was not casual astatine all. Just past week helium managed to decorativeness seventh astatine Dover Motor Speedway, his archetypal apical 20 decorativeness successful implicit a month.

During that period, helium mislaid points, and the play that looked similar the champion successful his vocation began to descent downhill. All that was missing from being knocked retired of contention was different astonishment winner.

How the contention changed the situation

And a astonishment happened, but the main quality was precisely Wallace. The triumph successful the No. 23 Toyota, his archetypal successful astir 3 years, automatically secured him a playoff berth.

This triumph gave RFK Racing's Ryan Preece a headache. For weeks, the 2 had been successful a conflict for 16th place, the past presumption that leads into the playoffs for drivers without a win. Wallace was already astatine that limit, but now, arsenic 1 of 13 winners, helium leaps supra the remainder and the enactment moves.

Preece abruptly recovered himself 42 points beneath the required. That means if helium wants to marque the archetypal playoffs of his career, he'll astir apt person to win.

The full communicative is besides affected by the concern from April erstwhile helium was stripped of 2nd spot from Talladega. If it weren't for that, possibly everything would look antithetic today. His workfellow Chris Buescher, who present holds the past harmless position, had a 60-point punishment successful May astatine Kansas, but it was reduced to 30 connected entreaty - a quality that whitethorn present beryllium decisive.

Above the enactment are Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman, some with coagulated advantages. Still, with 4 races to spell successful the regular season, including abbreviated ovals, a twisty way and a superspeedway, thing is over.