Wallace and Buescher out of playoffs at Darlington

The race at Darlington, the last of the 2024 NASCAR regular season, was crucial for Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher, who were both aiming to secure a spot in the playoffs. However, despite their efforts, both drivers were eliminated from contention after an unexpected finish in which Chase Briscoe took the victory.

Michael Jordan supports Bubba Wallace during the race

Michael Jordan, co-owner of 23XI Racing, watched from the pit wall as Bubba Wallace tried to secure his playoff spot. Jordan, who has supported Wallace throughout the season, offered advice and encouragement to the driver in this decisive race. Wallace had started strong, securing the pole position and leading 37 laps. However, an accident with just 22 laps remaining damaged his No. 23 Toyota, hindering his progress and leaving Wallace in 16th place at the end of the race.

Chris Buescher and the challenge at Darlington

Chris Buescher, for his part, maintained his position in the necessary points to advance, finishing in fifth place. However, an incident with Todd Gilliland with 45 laps remaining affected his Ford Mustang, forcing his team to make last-minute repairs. Despite their efforts, the Roush Fenway Keselowski team couldn't prevent Briscoe from taking the lead with 26 laps remaining, which dashed Buescher's hopes of qualifying.

Driver reactions after the race at Darlington

Buescher, visibly disappointed, explained that despite the setbacks, his team had achieved a good position. "We tried to control what we could, but it wasn't enough," said Buescher, who ended the night with mixed feelings after missing out on the playoffs.

Wallace also expressed his disappointment as he watched Briscoe celebrate his victory on the track. Despite a promising start, Wallace admitted that his team had not been competitive enough in the final two-thirds of the race. "We weren't good enough, plain and simple," Wallace said.