Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, was left deeply disappointed after his driver missed out on the NASCAR playoffs, as Harrison Burton clinched a surprise victory at Daytona. Wallace, driving for 23XI Racing, led for 16 laps in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 but couldn’t maintain his lead through the unpredictable final stages of the race. While Kraft has not yet commented publicly about the outcome, his feelings were shared by fellow spotter Brett Griffin, who expressed sympathy for Kraft’s disappointment.
Wallace started the 164-lap race from 18th position and fought his way up to finish in sixth place. His recent performances, starting from the Nashville Superspeedway race, have been impressive, including two top-5 and five top-10 finishes in the last seven races. These efforts brought him closer to the playoff cutoff, but Burton’s unexpected win dashed Kraft and Wallace’s hopes.
The victory by Harrison Burton, a driver who had not previously won a race this season, effectively secured another playoff spot. This result negatively impacted Wallace’s chances, as he would have moved into a playoff position had the race been won by a driver who had already secured a victory earlier in the season. Burton’s win with the #21 Ford locked in a playoff berth, pushing Wallace further from the playoff threshold, much to Kraft’s dismay.
Brett Griffin, a seasoned spotter who has worked with drivers like Clint Bowyer, Elliott Sadler, and Jeff Burton, conveyed Kraft’s disappointment on social media. Griffin, who sometimes steps in for other spotters, including during the Michigan race when Austin Dillon’s spotter was suspended, shared on X (formerly Twitter): “Freddie is the first guy out because Harrison won. We all knew this was a wild card race. He’s heartbroken by the win as he should be. How he navigates that on DBC (Door Bumper Clear podcast) will be interesting. Emotions are still emotions.”
Currently, Bubba Wallace sits 17th in the playoff standings, 21 points behind Chris Buescher of RFK Racing, who occupies the 16th spot. Wallace’s playoff hopes are precarious as the regular season nears its end.
Reflecting on his position in the standings, Wallace acknowledged the significant gap between him and his 23XI Racing teammate, Tyler Reddick, who leads the regular season points race. After Reddick secured his second win of the season at Michigan International Speedway, he climbed to the top of the standings, surpassing Chase Elliott. Reddick’s season has been impressive, with two wins, 11 top-5 finishes, and 17 top-10 finishes. In contrast, Wallace, despite having similar equipment, has yet to claim a victory and has recorded five top-5s and ten top-10s.
Wallace described the disparity in performance between him and Reddick as “unacceptable,” stating, “Got one car fighting for a regular season championship and another on the bubble. It’s unacceptable. I’ll take all that weight on my shoulders. I should’ve won multiple times and I haven’t. We don’t even deserve to be here and we aren’t. Gotta go win, that’s it.”
As the regular season draws to a close, the final race is set to take place at Darlington Raceway on Sunday evening, September 1, with drivers covering 501.322 miles. The stakes are high for Wallace, who needs a strong performance to secure a spot in the playoffs, adding to the drama and tension of this pivotal race.
Bubba Wallace’s spotter “heartbroken” by Harrison Burton’s “wild card” Daytona win
