At the Anduril 250 on Sunday, Bubba Wallace came the closest he’s been all year to getting his first checkered flag of 2026. But a frustrating penalty left him fuming at the end of his second-place finish.
A seemingly unsecured lugnut caused him to lose his right-front tire during Stage 1, which resulted in a two-lap hold and two of his crew members getting suspended. After the race, he expressed his frustration at both the situation and how bad it was for his crew. He believes that the penalty will hamstring his team for the next few weeks.
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“Drive your (expletive) off on a track that you have no idea what you’re doing. Drive up to the lead, and then have it all taken away from you. After every race we do a debrief,” Wallace said. “I hate it; I hate it for my crew. This one little mistake cost us the next couple of weeks.”
The Anduril 250
The inaugural Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego delivered one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Driving the No. 67 Toyota for 23XI Racing, Corey Heim earned his first career Cup Series victory in just his 13th start, passing teammate Tyler Reddick with two laps remaining after Reddick made a mistake in Turn 2.
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Heim then held on through the final corners to become the third first-time Cup winner of the 2026 season. The race was NASCAR’s first major event on an active military installation, taking place on the new 3.4-mile Qualcomm Circuit street course at Naval Base Coronado.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck driver Corey Heim during qualifying for the Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.Nigel Cook/News-Journal.
The closing laps featured a dramatic battle between the two 23XI Racing teammates. Reddick attempted to regain the lead after Heim’s pass and made contact with Heim’s car, but ultimately backed off and later suffered a flat tire that dropped him down the finishing order. Ryan Blaney, who led the most laps and won Stage 1, faded from contention late, while the race featured 20 lead changes among 13 drivers and seven cautions.
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As for Wallace, he claimed a much-needed 35 points and his second top-five finish in the last two races, lifting him to 11th in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season standings.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Jun 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the NASCAR section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
