Although winless, Bubba Wallace had something to celebrate when the 2024 season concluded: His best year in the Cup Series. The 23XI Racing driver last season managed to bag his highest number of top 5s (6) and top 10s (14) in a single season that finished in his best-ever average finish (15.3).

However, with nine races left in the current season, Wallace has already bested 2024. That’s thanks to the No. 23 driver winning his first crown jewel race of his career.

After Wallace kissed the bricks at Indianapolis, he also booked a spot in the playoffs, which he missed out on last season despite his consistent finishes. However, this season, he’s got both. Who knows, he could also be a contender for the championship if this continues.

Bubba Wallace Extends His Regular-Season Form Into the Playoffs

It’s no secret that Wallace kicked off the 2025 season on a high note after winning the duel race in Daytona. Then came the two back-to-back 3rd-place finishes. First in Homestead, Miami, and then Martinsville. Yes, he’s also had seven DNFs so far, but Wallace has bounced back quicker from setbacks this season.

Like in late June, early July, when he seemed to be entering a long slump, having finished four consecutive races outside the top 20. However, the Alabama native was able to drag himself out of that quickly, ending the slump with a P7 in Dover. Followed by which he also got his Indy win, ending his 100-race-long dry spell.

Also, ever since Dover, Wallace hasn’t looked back. In fact, as NASCAR recently shared in an X post, “He’s heating up at the right time. 🔥@BubbaWallace has finished in the top 10 in five of the last seven races.”

Wallace’s most recent top 10 is from the playoff opener at Darlington. In the Southern 500, the No. 23 driver managed to finish 6th, and that’s among the entire field. But if we only consider playoff-eligible drivers, Wallace ended up finishing the third highest, after race winner Chase Briscoe and runner-up Tyler Reddick.

Thanks to this, Wallace’s 2025 playoff campaign is off to a strong start. He’s currently 5th in the points ranking in the round of 16, 25 points above the cutline, and naturally, Wallace was pumped about this kind of start.

Read More: ‘Liking His Odds’ – Fans Believe Bubba Wallace Could Be NASCAR’s Ultimate Playoff Dark Horse

In the post-race interview, he said, “I was doing my best not to overdrive the croners the last couple of laps. Good day for our team. Great playoff run and just solid execution. We had a couple of mistakes on pit road, I had a couple of mistakes on the track, and we were able to rebound really well. Hats off to Toyota.”

Let’s see if the No. 23 team can keep up this momentum throughout the playoffs. The best Wallace has ever done in a Cup Series season so far is finish 10th (2023). Maybe he can beat that this year, making it to the round of 8 or even the top 4. Who knows? Only time will tell.