Bubba Wallace Admits ‘I Choked’ In NASCAR Playoff Race Win Giveaway

NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace had his playoff destiny in his hands with five laps to go in the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday.

It was a mistake that is sure to haunt him after leading 111 laps, the most of any driver, Wallace was in the position to win following Kyle Larson’s race-ending crash into the turn 2 wall.

On the restart, Wallace took the outside line alongside Chase Briscoe. All he had to do was clear the No. 14 car and he would automatically qualify for the next round of the postseason.

What happened next left Wallace on the bubble looking up at the eight other drivers ahead of him in the standings — he failed to clear Briscoe and William Byron slipped past Wallace to secure the win.

“Really needed a win there, and it was a good showing,” Wallace said after the race. “I don’t know where that puts us. I don’t really care. But I know what I did, and I choked.”

Entering the race on Sunday, Wallace was sitting 14 points below the cutline and even though he picked up 37 points at Texas, he still finds himself two points out with two races left, Talladega and Charlotte, in the Round of 12.

The top eight drivers will advance to the Round of 8 with Byron in first position after winning at Texas followed by Denny Hamlin, Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, Martin Truex Jr., Ross Chastain, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson.

Wallace is not a stranger to being on the bubble. He clinched a playoff spot in the final regular season race at Daytona International Speedway on Aug. 26, proving the doubters wrong.

Now, it’s simple math really — win and you’re in.

Otherwise, Wallace will need to earn as many playoff points as possible to leapfrog the competition and secure a spot.