23XI Rights The Ship, Scores Dual Top 10s In Las Vegas

23XI Racing drivers Bubba Wallace (23) and Tyler Reddick battle at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. (Danny Hansen/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

By Justin Glenn, SWN Staff Writer

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 5, 2026) – The start to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase hasn’t gone to plan for 23XI Racing, who entered with high hopes of deep contention. 

A team total of no top fives, zero laps led and an average finish of 19.7 have buried Chase drivers Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace in the postseason standings. 

However, Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, things took a slight turn. Both Reddick and Wallace, despite issues, had a shot at the win late and settled for finishes inside the top 10. 

“We just had to dig deep. Unfortunately, it's pretty much normal to have issues all day for us on this team,” said Reddick. “That's just what we're used to. So we know what to do. We know how to fight through it.”

Reddick had an alternator battery change and Wallace suffered a pit crew equipment interference violation across the two stages. But, it was Reddick’s first top 10 since a third-place finish at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on Sept. 6, and Wallace’s third straight top 10 dating back to Sept. 19 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

First, it was Wallace who had a shot at race winner Chase Briscoe. Wallace restarted the final stage fifth and used the restart to stay in touch up front. On lap 217, Wallace got to second and ate into Briscoe’s lead, keeping him within arm’s length on the last pit cycle. 

The 33-year-old mixed using the top and bottom grooves to gain time and avoided crossing into the dirty air wake of the No. 19.

With 26 laps left, Wallace got to the back bumper and sailed his front nose inside of Briscoe. Wallace was looking to snap a 47-race winless streak, and he had the option to lift or move Briscoe out of the way. Wallace lifted, as Briscoe slid across the front bumper of the No. 23 and shut the door. 

Wallace got tight and chased his car up the track, where he burnt his front tires and eventually fell back to Kyle Larson before he free fell to eighth in the end.

“His car [Briscoe] was just good enough to stay out in front of us. I tried to make one last charge, catching him sleep into Turn 1 and it just didn’t work,” said Wallace. “Ultimately paid a price on tires. We started cording the right front and fell off pretty hard. Hated that we had the penalty. You can’t have any mistakes. Pit crew rebound so I do appreciate that. Just wasn’t meant to be.

“I thought [Briscoe] would fall off a little harder at the end. We were pretty good.. but it’s like they got a little better, we got a little worse.” 

From one teammate to the next, Reddick had his shot at Briscoe and Larson. Reddick used the top lane to generate runs and got around Wallace. He stalked the back bumper of Larson and was in touch of Briscoe just in case a slip happened.

But, Reddick ran out of time and was only able to reach Larson on the final lap. 

All cars were on edge coming to the finish. Larson then smashed the outside wall entering the tri-oval and clipped Reddick. Reddick spun through the grass, but was able to point it straight to finish third.

“It took us a little bit longer than we wanted to get back to the front, but once we did, I thought we were in a good spot,” said Reddick. “Unfortunately, we had a slow stop, we lost time in that final cycle, and [Larson] and [William Byron] got in front of us.”

Both drivers needed a win. Reddick is seventh, 106 points down, while Wallace is 10th and 137 behind points leader Larson. But Las Vegas was the first Chase weekend both cars had winning pace, despite battles from the rear.

Wallace set a new single-season career high of 15 top 10s, and the duo also combined for 17 stage points. 

Reddick’s disappointment reeks, however, after a career-year that started with five wins in the first nine races now has a muddied path to a championship with five weeks left.

“We gained five points [to Larson]. Whoop-de-doo,” he said sarcastically.

A 23XI driver hoisting the Bill France Cup looks bleak. But Reddick still has a shot to capture lightning in a bottle as he once did from February to June. Leaving Las Vegas, Reddick has six top 10s at the track. Wallace has two straight ‘Sin City’ top 10s, adding to a ninth-place result on March 15. 

The duo will look to continue their mountain climb at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Reddick in seven Charlotte starts has just two finishes worse than ninth place. In the May 24 Coca Cola 600, he qualified on pole, led 119 laps and finished fourth in the rain-shortened race. 

Wallace’s finishes do not match the speed he’s had on the 1.5-mile oval. His best finish and last top 10 was fourth in 2023. But, he has three top 12 starting positions in the last five races. He finished 22nd in May. 

“We have to capitalize when we have Toyota Camrys as fast as [Las Vegas]. We have to win those races,” said Reddick. “The key to that is being clean and executing. We just haven't done that in a very long time.”

Coverage of the Bank of America 400 from Charlotte is slated for Sunday, Oct. 11 at 3 p.m. ET on USA, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.