Strong Michigan run, season-best finish provide boost for Bubba Wallace

The month of May was a hellscape for Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 23XI Racing team, which had four finishes of 22nd or worse over the last five NASCAR Cup Series races. 

But Sunday's FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan was a reminder that Wallace and the No. 23 team do have the potential to run up front and battle for wins. 

Wallace started inside the top 10 and earned six crucial stage points with a fifth-place finish in Stage 1. He was on-track to earn more in Stage 2 before fading on the long run to the end of the stage and ending up 11th. 

Bubba Wallace finishes third at Michigan

But the No. 23 Toyota came alive in Stage 3. Wallace was aggressive on restarts, consistently going high to try and form runs on the exit of turn 2. He got up as high as second on the race's final run before Erik Jones passed him for the runner-up position. 

When the checkered flag flew, Wallace finished a season-best third. It was his second top five of the season and his first since Kansas on April 19. 

Wallace also gained on the Chase cut line, moving up to 11th in the Cup Series standings and holding a 49-point advantage over 17th-place Joey Logano with 11 races remaining in the regular season.