Like the rest of the NASCAR world, Bubba Wallace has watched Tyler Reddick dominate this season.
Reddick picked up his fifth victory of the year by winning Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. The 30-year-old is off to a historically strong start after going all of 2025 without a win.
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Wallace has witnessed his teammate pile up wins for 23XI Racing. He discussed Reddick’s hot streak with former NASCAR crew chief Steve Letarte on Monday.
“Incredible to see how we come off last year. Obviously, just the Brickyard 400, not downplaying that at all, but Reddick went winless,” Wallace said. “… Massive win and then all of a sudden it’s like, ‘Who lit a fire under his a**?’ I think he took going winless to heart. I did it for three years, and it’s just hard. The sport is so hard, and I think the conversations that we had with leadership and just getting the preseason meetings kicked off, just kind of lit a fire in everybody.”
Reddick’s success is bittersweet for Wallace, who is still seeking his first win of the season after placing fifth on Sunday.
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“I am happy for him, the team, and the success,” Wallace continued. “Tyler and I, we have been great teammates, I feel like, for the last four years. I’ve had no, ‘Man, why him?’ None of that. It’s just like, ‘Man, when is it our turn?'”
“We’re getting back into form”
Feb 11, 2026; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images© Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
Sunday represented Wallace’s best finish of the year. It’s a positive step after finishing 34th at Darlington and wrecking at Martinsville last month.
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“It’s not a woe-is-me thing. It is understanding how tough this sport is, and when you’re on it, you’re on it, and we’re close, man,” Wallace said. “We gave up two races there at Darlington and Martinsville, but we’re getting back into form.”
Wallace thought he had a chance on Sunday, but Reddick instead picked up an overtime win after only leading for 10 laps. Reddick matched Dale Earnhardt for the most victories in the first nine races of a season.
“I told my team (Sunday), ‘If we can break through — we were running eighth or ninth — if we can break through and get into the top five, I said it’s gonna be game on,'” Wallace recalled. “We get into the top five, and the 45 passed me, and I’m like, ‘Oh, never mind. Maybe next week.'”
This story was originally published by The Spun on Apr 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the NASCAR section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
