Denny Hamlin and his 23XI Racing team have been the only names on everyone’s lips lately, whether it is the fallout or the ongoing lawsuit battle. But his drivers, Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, have kept their heads up amid the playoff fight, with Wallace even saying, “I’ve got five races left to go out and fight for a championship, and I set that tone from the beginning of the year.” Now, as the dust settled on Charlotte this afternoon, one 23XI Racing driver didn’t play by the rules of NASCAR… and is now paying the price for it.

Unlike last year’s dramatic elimination at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, all playoff drivers cleared post-race inspection on Sunday. In 2024, Alex Bowman’s failure in the post-race weight check cost him a playoff spot, allowing Joey Logano to slip back in. This year, although there was a disqualification, it may not have had an impact on the playoff battle, but it has completely derailed 23XI Racing’s confidence amid the ongoing lawsuit battle.

While Denny Hamlin is busy defending his 23XI Racing team off the track, Riley Herbst, the Cup Series rookie, had a hellish weekend. After post-race inspection at Charlotte Motor Speedway, NASCAR confirmed that Herbst had been disqualified from the Bank of America ROVAL 400 for failing post-race weights.

Herbst, who drives for 23XI Racing, originally crossed the start-finish line with a 30th-place finish, earning 7 points in the 109-lap event around the 2.28-mile road course, but with the disqualification, the Las Vegas native will be dropped to 37th. The disqualification costs Herbst 6 Cup Series championship points and does not affect the playoff outcome, which had already eliminated four drivers at the checkered flag.

Only a few drivers – Erik Jones, Austin Dillon, Josh Bilicki, Cody Ware, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Austin Cindric– move up a single position as a result, with Cindric being the only playoff driver impacted. However, the minor gain is insufficient to alter his must-win situation or advance him to the next round, dramatically ending his playoff hopes.

Herbst’s weekend had already been challenging. During Saturday practice, the 26-year-old driver snapped loose entering Turn 5 and slammed the tire barriers, nearly flipping before being ejected back onto the track.

Remarkably, the car returned for additional practice laps and a qualifying attempt, where Herbst earned a 23rd-place starting position. Herbst also had a turbulent day on track, clashing with Ty Dillon and retaliating under caution. He also tangled with Kyle Busch, who spun Herbst out at the exit of the front stretch chicane.

In his rookie Cup Series season with 23XI Racing, Herbst has struggled, recording no top 10 finishes in 32 starts and an average finish of 26.3 with a best result of 14th at Texas in the spring. This marks the first post-race Cup disqualification since Ryan Preece and Joey Logano at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

And this is the last thing 23XI Racing needs right now. As the NASCAR lawsuit takes an ugly turn with summary judgments issued by NASCAR, calling out 23XI Racing’s “bruised ego” and “greed,“ all eyes will be on Hamlin’s team as the battle continues. But this wasn’t the only setback faced by 23XI Racing; the two playoff drivers who battled hard to stay in contention can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.

23XI Racing’s playoff hopes get slammed at Charlotte Motor Speedway

It is hard to deny that Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace tried their best at the Bank of America Roval 400. Both Wallace and Reddick were on the cusp of advancing to the Round of 8.

Tyler Reddick had a strong start to the race, leading the opening lap and running consistently near the front in the early stages. By lap five, he was in second place behind SVG, with Kyle Larson, Ty Gibbs, and Chris Buescher trailing him.

Through the first stage and into the second, Reddick remained competitive, running second behind Chris Buescher and still holding a top-five position as pit cycles played out. Despite being in contention early, he never managed to challenge for the lead late in the race and ultimately finished the race at P10. This proved critical to his playoff hopes.

Moreover, Bubba Wallace, who seems unaffected by the lawsuit, ran slightly behind Reddick, positioned third on lap 16 and consistently in the top 10 throughout the rest of the race. He made strategic pit stops and tried to stay within reach of the leaders, but never gained enough position to impact the playoff picture. Wallace brought his No. 23 Toyota home in P15.

These results were insufficient to propel them into the next playoff round. Consequently, both were eliminated from the playoffs, with Reddick finishing ninth and Wallace 10th in the overall standings. Despite the solid runs, they could not overcome the late shift and strategic misfortune of the playoff contenders, leaving both drivers out of contention for the rest of the postseason. As 23XI Racing is still in the fight, all eyes and ears will fall squarely on the next NASCAR lawsuit update.