NASCAR issued penalties on Monday to two members of Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 team after a right‑front wheel separated from the car during the early stages of the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado. Rear tire changer Adam Hartman and jackman Nathan Ricketts will be sidelined for the next two Cup Series races, removing them from the lineup for Sonoma Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway. Both will be eligible to return when the series heads to Atlanta’s EchoPark Speedway on the weekend of July 12.
The issue unfolded under a Lap 20 caution when the right‑front wheel detached as Wallace slowed behind the pace car. NASCAR’s rules require a two‑race suspension for the over‑the‑wall crew members responsible for securing a wheel that comes off during competition. The mishap forced Wallace to remain on pit road for two laps while the team regrouped.
What came next was one of Wallace’s strongest and most remarkable comebacks of the season. After falling two laps down, he clawed his way back into contention by earning the free pass twice, first on Lap 31, then again on Lap 33. Once back on the lead lap, the No. 23 Toyota steadily worked through the field, showing the kind of pace the team has been searching for.
By the closing laps, Wallace had positioned himself as the only driver with a realistic chance of challenging teammate Corey Heim, who went on to claim his first Cup Series victory. Wallace crossed the line in second, giving 23XI Racing a commanding 1‑2 finish and delivering his best result of the 2026 season.
Finishing the race as runner-up also pushed Wallace up two spots in the Cup Series standings, which is highly welcomed after previous touch-and-go results. Still, the next two weeks will test the team’s depth. Losing both a jackman and a rear-tire changer disrupts the rhythm of any pit crew, especially one that has been building momentum.
23XI Racing has not yet announced who will fill the open roles, but the organization has a strong development pipeline and has handled mid‑season adjustments effectively in the past. For Wallace, the focus now is on maintaining the speed he displayed at Coronado for the remainder of the season. Sonoma’s technical layout and Chicagoland’s return to the calendar present very different challenges, and the No. 23 team will need to stay sharp even without two key members of its over‑the‑wall group.
Wallace turned what could have been a disastrous day into one of his most impressive performances of the year. Now the question is whether the team can maintain that momentum while Hartman and Ricketts serve their suspensions. The group has shown flashes of resilience before, but losing two key over‑the‑wall members will test how well they adapt under pressure. Wallace’s pace at Coronado proved the speed is there, and the next stretch will reveal whether the execution can match it.