The AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway turned out to be an eventful race. But for one driver in particular, the race weekend was already immensely meaningful even before the green flag waved, and that driver was Bubba Wallace.

For Wallace, the weekend marked his 300th start in the NASCAR Cup Series. He made his debut in the series in 2017 with Richard Petty Motorsports at Pocono Raceway. What was meant to be a part-time deal to replace an injured Aric Almirola turned into a full-time contract beginning in 2028. 

Ahead of the race at Kansas, Bubba Wallace made an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. He spoke about the milestone race, saying:

"I think about my first start, you know, at Pocono, and where we're at now, how much has changed. It's just a crazy, crazy roller coaster. And yeah, I think everything is supposed to happen for a reason, and yeah, I think it's supposed to shape up to be a good weekend. So, it's going to be a lot of fun." 

The 23XI Racing driver was further asked if he ever dreamt of racing in the Cup Series during his time driving in the Legends car racing series as a child. Wallace replied, saying:

"No, not at all. Not at all. It was cool, I remember racing on pole night, Legends and Bandoleros were there on pole night, and I thought it was cool just to be racing in front of a big crowd. Never thought like, 'Oh man, I could be part of pole night some day if I keep continuing to drive hard and have success.' It just so happened, and I think I enjoy that more. Like, man, it's cool going back to Charlotte, each and every time."

2026 marks Bubba Wallace’s ninth season in the Cup Series and his sixth with 23XI Racing. Over this period, he has earned three wins and qualified for the playoffs twice. His most recent win was at the 2025 Brickyard 400.

Bubba Wallace secures a Top 5 in 300th start at Kansas

Bubba Wallace had a decent outing at the Kansas race. After qualifying in the 10th place, the No. 23 23XI Racing driver finished the race, which went into overtime, in fifth.

It was a steady progression for Wallace throughout the race, as he finished ninth in Stage 1 and sixth in Stage 2. His teammate, Tyler Reddick, won the race in OT after passing Kyle Larson on the 275th and last lap.

For Reddick, it was his fifth win in nine races, while for Wallace, it was his fifth Top Five. Reddick extended his reign at the top to 105 points over Denny Hamlin, while Wallace stayed put eighth in the standings.

Up next is the Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 26.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yask Kotak