Tyler Reddick's 2026 NASCAR season has begun with a flying start. After his Kansas triumph, he became the first driver since the legendary Dale Earnhardt in 1987 to win five of the first nine races. Meanwhile, his 23XI Racing teammate, Bubba Wallace, has yet to find the first win of his season.

In a recent interview with Steve Letarte, Wallace opened up about how he feels seeing his teammate get great success while he isn’t quite at the same level just yet. Letarte referenced how Reddick went winless in 2025, and Wallace ended up dominating in Indianapolis to win the Brickyard 400, and how it has turned around this season.

"We’ve come off last year, obviously, just the Brickyard 400, not downplaying that at all," replied Wallace. "And then all of a sudden it’s like, it lit a fire under his a**. I think he took going winless to heart. I mean, I did it for three years, and it’s just hard, man. This sport is so hard."

Bubba Wallace revealed that the mood within the team shifted after a preseason conversation with the leadership. "I think the conversations we had with everybody and the preseason meetings kicked off just kind of lit a fire in everybody. The hot start that we’ve had, I'm happy for him and the team and the success. You know, Tyler and I, we’ve been great teammates, I feel like, for the last four years."

Wallace admitted there is no animosity or jealousy as to why it's Reddick and not him. "It’s just like 'And when is our turn? How can it be me?' It’s not 'Why him?'"

Bubba Wallace Opens Up on Finding Form

The #23 Toyota driver for 23XI is currently 8th in the championship standings. Apart from the 15-car pile-up that he caused in Martinsville, which led to a DNF, Bubba Wallace has been pretty consistent this season with five top ten finishes and a best finish of fifth in Kansas.

Speaking to Letarte about a potential first win in 2026, he said, "We’re close, man. You know, we gave up two races there, Darlington and Martinsville. But we’re getting back in form. And I told my team yesterday, if we can break through - we were running eighth to ninth - I’m like, man, if we can break through and get into the top five, I said it’s gonna be game over."

While Bubba Wallace ended up getting passed by Reddick when he climbed into the top five, the No. 23 driver is finding the speed he needs to start competing for wins. We may soon see another 23XI driver bag a win in the coming races.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Yask Kotak