Bubba Wallace posts back-to-back Top-5 finishes

For the first time this season, Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 23XI Racing team have posted consecutive Top-5 finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Wallace posted a third-place finish Sunday in the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, tying his season-best of third from last week at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“Back-to-back top-fives is a good day, it’s usually around those summer months when we do that,” Wallace said with laughter. “It is nice to have a really good points day.

“I’m sure that’s what the text from MJ will say, but all-in-all, really proud of my McDonald’s Toyota team.”

Wallace started the race eighth, collected eight stage points with his third-place finish in Stage 2, and earned 42 points.

Only race-winner Denny Hamlin and fourth-place Chase Elliott earned more overall points with 54 and 46 respectively.

Entering Martinsville, Wallace had a 36-point advantage over the playoff cutline ranked seventh in points.

Despite dropping to eighth in points after Martinsville, Wallace increased his cushion over the cutline to 49 points.

“A good day nonetheless,” Wallace said. “I’m trying to scratch my head on what I could have done different. My restarts were terrible. One of my best traits, so need to go back and study that.”

Wallace is the highest he has ever ranked in driver’s standings through seven races in eighth.

Team co-owner Denny Hamlin, from the Martinsville Speedway Media Center, sang the praises of his driver and his fast start to 2025.

“It’s great to see especially that team and Bubba, like, they’re really good right now, I mean, really, really good,” Hamlin said. “On the edge of winning races. It’s great to see.

“My perfect scenario is me winning and my team cars to finish second, third, fourth. That would be the perfect scenario. It’s nearly impossible to have.”