By Neha Dwivedi, Staff Writer

Bubba Wallace arrived in San Diego with only one top-five finish from his previous 40 NASCAR Cup Series starts on road and street courses, yet he managed to cut through the field in the No. 23 Toyota.

He worked his way into the mix at the front before a wheel issue brought his stint to a halt and sent his race off the rails with a lengthy penalty stop. On Lap 19, Wallace’s front wheel came off while he was on the track after it had not been secured during a pit stop.

The incident left him with a two-lap penalty, and the fallout may not end there. Under Sections 8.8.10.4 A&D of the NASCAR Rule Book, a “lost tire beyond pit road will result in [a] two-race suspension for two pit crew members [and] a two-lap penalty,” meaning further penalties could still be coming.

Bubba Wallace knows exactly what hangs in the balance, and that reality appeared to outweigh everything else when the race ended. Even as teammate Corey Heim celebrated his first Cup Series victory, Wallace found little reason to join in, although he said he was happy and proud of the young driver.

Instead, he was left replaying what might have been after coming within touching distance of a breakthrough road-course win, admitting, “What if? That’s another one. What if?”

While he was pleased with the team’s recovery and execution, he couldn’t help but wonder what might have been if a few things had gone differently. 

The No. 23 driver chose to focus on the positives. He praised his team’s resilience and emphasized that both he and everyone at 23XI Racing continue to put in relentless effort every week.

Acknowledging that success doesn’t always come immediately, Wallace said he simply has to keep working hard and hope that things eventually fall into place.

While he admitted it was difficult not to think about missed opportunities, he said he was trying to view the performance with a “glass half full” mentality before turning his attention to the next challenge at Sonoma.

He said, “Good rebound for our team. I just got to keep busting my a** too. Keep busting my a** and maybe something will go my way, but I guess I got to look at it from a glass half full, but on to Sonoma next weekend.”

Why Bubba Wallace believes Sonoma could finally be different this time

Looking ahead to Sonoma Raceway, Wallace took a more optimistic tone than in the past. He confessed that while running two laps down during the race, one of the thoughts that crossed his mind was that perhaps his luck would finally change at Sonoma, a track where he openly admitted he has struggled over the years.

The road course has historically been one of his most difficult venues, but his encouraging performance in San Diego has given him renewed confidence.

Wallace believes the momentum from San Diego can carry over into Sonoma. He joked that he hopes he doesn’t go “from hero to zero,” but ultimately, he feels confident heading into the weekend and believes he can deliver another solid performance. 

As he put it, “I hope I don’t go from hero to zero, but I feel confident going into Sonoma and having a good weekend. But, yeah, it’s an all-in-all good day. test above the weekend. Everybody’s been talking about it for a year, and now here we are, it’s finished.”

Although he still wonders what could have been after coming so close to victory, Wallace left San Diego encouraged by the progress his team has made and hopeful that it can translate into another competitive run at Sonoma.