Bubba Wallace remains confident at Texas despite practice crash

FORT WORTH, Texas – Midway through Group 1 practice for Sunday’s Würth 400 presented by Liqui Moly at Texas Motor Speedway, Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota snapped around through Turns 1 and 2 quicker than he realized. The result is 23XI Racing unloading the backup car for race day. “It just came around out of nowhere and surprised me,” Wallace told reporters after the incident. “I knew I was loose in the moment, went to correct it and it was too late. Hate it. Thought we had some decent speed. Just a long Saturday that’s going to make for a good Sunday.” RELATED: Starting lineup | At-track photos: Texas Wallace ranked fifth in single-lap speed before the crash. The No. 23 car dipped to 18th on 10- and 15-lap averages. Among the hurdles to overcome on Sunday will be poor pit-stall selection and the need to find track position at a venue where it’s paramount. There is optimism, however, as six of the top 10 in last year’s Texas race's finishing order started 24th or worse, including all three podium finishers. “Looking at the positives of the day, erase the negatives and go drive hard tomorrow,” Wallace said of his outlook come the green flag. “Just need to execute all day tomorrow. We’re starting at the back, no good pit stall. The odds are against us, so we will see how mentally tough we are.” The unique characteristics of Texas make it unforgiving. With how treacherous the 1.5-mile oval can be, Wallace knows he will need to pick his way through the field carefully to avoid another disappointing finish. “You just have to be smart about it,” he added. “Coming here a handful of times, you know where to be, putting yourself in the right spot to capitalize on and we’ll be OK.” Entering Texas, Wallace has three finishes of 34th or worse in the last five races, including a pair of DNFs. He vowed not to make the same mistake twice this weekend. Wallace concluded, “I haven’t crashed in practice in quite some time. The positive of that is, I pushed the limits, found the limit and it won’t happen again.”