Denny Hamlin Didn't Hesitate Naming 23XI's Best Driver This Year

He is just aware that Wallace has become someone that every other competitor needs to be wary of. One of the most important attributes that he has seen the No. 23 team develop this season is resilience. Early during the race in Kansas, Wallace was falling back into positions below the top 15.

And yet, towards the end, he was up there at the top of the leaderboard, fighting for the win. This relentlessness has left the team co-owner beyond impressed.

He said, “In years past, Bubba or the team might have packed it in halfway and said, ‘We’re just not going to run well today.’ But now they fight back. That kind of resilience is what’s going to give you longevity and win you a lot of races in the future.”

Hamlin Warns About Wallace’s Road Course Skills

A part of Wallace’s all-around development has been on his road course skills. This makes him a solid contender for the win at the Charlotte Roval this weekend. Hamlin warned competitors, “You’ll have to contend with him this weekend, too. His road course skills have improved dramatically.”

The driver has two top-10 finishes at the track in the three races since the Next Gen was introduced. Sitting 26 points below the cutoff line to make it to the Round of 8, he will no doubt be in his best form on Sunday.

For Hamlin, the Kansas drama showed the tension of being both team owner and driver. But what he has accepted now without question is that Wallace isn’t just a competitive driver, but also the team’s biggest weapon.