"I just show up, have fun": Bubba Wallace remains unfazed by 23XI lawsuit court rulings and qualifying pressure 

In a recent video shared by Frontstretch on X, Bubba Wallace responded to the growing uncertainty around the NASCAR antitrust lawsuit involving 23XI Racing. Wallace was asked whether he was paying attention to the court rulings that could affect his ability to qualify for upcoming races.

The video, posted by motorsports outlet Frontstretch, features both Bubba Wallace and his teammate, Tyler Reddick. The caption read:

“We caught up with @BubbaWallace and @TylerReddick to discuss the court rulings, road courses, and some baseball.”

In the short video clip, Wallace was asked directly whether he was following the recent legal developments in the 23XI and Front Row Motorsports (FRM) lawsuit against NASCAR. Wallace admitted he doesn’t follow the legal back-and-forth in detail. He said he knows “the base layer and everything,” but his focus remains on racing. Wallace added,

“The opportunities in front of me, they keep showing up until the doors are locked up…I just show up, have fun. Whatever happens, happens.”

Bubba Wallace's comments came during an important week in the ongoing lawsuit between 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR. After several legal filings, the U.S. Court of Appeals denied the teams' petition for a rehearing, escalating concerns that 23XI could lose its chartered status before the next Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway.

The denial followed NASCAR’s successful appeal in May, which overturned a previous injunction that allowed 23XI and FRM to race as chartered teams. That injunction was originally granted in December 2024 after the teams filed an antitrust lawsuit in October, accusing NASCAR of monopolistic practices. Losing chartered status means teams may have to qualify as "open entries" and receive less revenue.

The next court hearing is scheduled for December 1. NASCAR has yet to announce whether it will strip 23XI and FRM of their charters ahead of Dover.

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Playoffs slipping away: Bubba Wallace’s on-track season takes a hit

Bubba Wallace is also facing challenges on the track. His 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season—previously looking like a career-best—is now on shaky ground. A collision with rival Alex Bowman at the Chicago street race dropped Wallace’s points cushion to just two above the playoff cut line, with only seven regular-season races left.

Heading into Chicago, Wallace was having his most consistent year yet. His average finish was the best of his career. But his incident with Bowman in the final laps changed everything. The two have a tense history on road courses. Their first major clash came at the Roval in 2018.

In 2024, Wallace was fined $50,000 for door-checking Bowman post-race at the same Chicago track. With six laps to go, Bowman, on fresher tires, battled Wallace for a top-10 spot. Through the narrow corners of Grant Park, Bowman clipped Wallace in Turn 2, spinning him out. Post-race, Bowman told NASCAR:

"I thought we had squashed our beef… I felt like he did it to himself because I kept pinballing between him and the outside wall."

Wallace, after being released from the infield care center, kept his cool. He shared,

“I was passing cars, having fun… hate to see it end that way. Fun with the 48. No love lost, all good.”

Despite the composed remarks, this late-season mistake could cost Bubba Wallace dearly. Defending a spot that wasn’t realistically his, on worn tires, was a high-risk move. Now, with playoff hopes in limbo and his team’s charter status uncertain, Wallace is fighting on two fronts—one legal, one on the racetrack.

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Edited by Anisha Chatterjee