After both of their playoff drivers advanced out of the opening round, 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace looked poised to be legitimate NASCAR Cup Series title contenders following an up-and-down regular season. It also did not hurt that fellow Toyota team Joe Gibbs Racing ran roughshod on the field by sweeping the first three races.
It was a complete change of pace at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, however, as Team Penske once again reminded everyone that they are built for the playoffs, regardless of their performance before the final 10-race stretch begins.
Ryan Blaney had the best car all weekend and became the first driver to lock himself into the round of 8, with technical alliance driver Josh Berry of Wood Brothers Racing in second and Joey Logano in fourth after claiming the pole on Saturday.
Team Penske may have dominated, but it was the complete opposite for 23XI Racing, with Reddick finishing 21st and Wallace a lap down in 26th. As a result, both drivers find themselves at the bottom of the playoff field and in search of a quick turnaround to salvage their seasons.
23XI Racing laid an egg at the worst possible time
It likely would have been easier to process if one of their drivers experienced issues, but the fact that both of them struggled to find pace was concerning in a tight playoff field.
Reddick overshot his pit box during his final stop to compound his issues and Wallace battled through handling problems the entire race, which was even more surprising considering he led a career-high 73 laps on a similar layout two weeks prior at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
Kansas Speedway, the middle track in the round of 12, has been a good track for 23XI Racing in the past, as Reddick (fall 2023) and Wallace (fall 2022) have each won a race there.
But neither driver has a top 10 finish in the "Sunflower State" in their three most recent starts there, including in the 2025 spring race, and that does not bode well with the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval looming one week later as the cutoff race.
While Reddick has never finished worse that 12th in five starts there, Wallace only has a best finish of seventh, which will probably not be enough for advancement to the round of 8 if his points position does not improve beforehand.
Reddick (-23) and Wallace (-27) have some work to do to get back in the playoff fight, and that starts by putting stage points at the forefront. Both started inside the top 10 at the Roval in 2023 and 2024, and that includes back-to-back front row starts for Reddick, so history at least suggests 23XI Racing should have the speed to run up front again.
But that is by no means a guarantee in a sport that can change from one week to another. Right now, 23XI Racing are finding that out the hard way after a disappointing round of 12 opener that has them looking up at the rest of the playoff field with a steep hill to climb.