Bubba Wallace rebounds from two laps down to finish runner-up at Coronado

Bubba Wallace was fast early in Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Naval Base Coronado before a loose wheel incurred a two-lap penalty for the 23XI Racing driver. 

That put Wallace two laps down and running last (39th) in the early portion of Stage 2 before he was able to get back on the lead lap. 

With a fast No. 23 Toyota underneath him, Wallace slowly climbed through the field and put himself in a position to grab a top 10 finish. When the final caution came out, Wallace came out on the other side with fresh tires and track position. 

Coronado runner-up clutch for Bubba Wallace

He parlayed that combination into a second-place finish after a heated battle with Kyle Larson for the spot in the closing laps and a flat tire for Tyler Reddick, which gave Wallace an extra position.

For a driver in Wallace who only had four top 10s in 40 career road course starts entering Sunday, Coronado is now his high-water mark on a road course. The Cup Series will take on another road course next week at Sonoma. 

The runner-up finish comes at a great time for Wallace, who is now 67 points above the Chase cut line and 11th in the series standings with nine races left in the regular season.