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Bubba Wallace shared Michael Jordan's advice ahead of his last chance to make NASCAR playoffs

michelle r. martinelli
·2 min read
Feb 20, 2022; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; Michael Jordan greets crew members of NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Matt Stamey-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2022; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; Michael Jordan greets crew members of NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Matt Stamey-USA TODAY Sports

The NASCAR Cup Series regular season all comes down to Sunday at Darlington Raceway, where drivers not already qualified for the playoffs will have one last opportunity to contend for a title this season.

The top-16 drivers in the standings make the playoffs, and they're automatically guaranteed a berth with a win during the regular season. If they don't win a regular-season race and there are fewer than 16 different winners, the remaining playoff spots are filled based on who's where in the standings.

With one more race to go before the 10-race playoffs, Bubba Wallace and his No. 23 23XI Racing team are sitting in 13th. But with a few drivers with wins this season, the playoff picture projects him as 17th and the first driver excluded from the postseason if it started today. His sixth-place finish Saturday at Daytona International Speedway helped, but he's not there yet.

While a guest on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s podcast, Wallace shared his approach to his last playoff-qualifying opportunity, along with the advice he received from 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan.

Wallace told Earnhardt:

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Wallace added why he needs to emphasize de-stressing before races, saying:

"Last year, I went into Daytona really stressed out. ... I think for Daytona, you can get by with that. But I think if it was Darlington, I would have crashed Lap 2. Taking a deep breath, understanding where we're at — we're not out of it by any means. If you out-run the guys you're racing, then you should beat them. But we have to do a little bit extra work, and I'm excited to roll the sleeves up and do that."

The NASCAR Cup Series' regular-season finale is the Southern 500 on Sunday at Darlington Raceway (6 p.m. ET, USA Network).

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This article originally appeared on For The Win: Bubba Wallace shared Michael Jordan's advice ahead of his last chance to make NASCAR playoffs