After numerous blunders on pit road led to multiple decent runs being foiled, a change has finally been made on the pit crew roster for the No. 23 23XI Racing team heading into this weekend’s Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
According to the NASCAR Roster Portal, the No. 23 team will swap front tire changers and tire carriers with the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team.
Bubba Wallace’s previous Front Tire Changer Jackson Gibbs and Tire Carrier Nick McBeath will move over to service Christopher Bell’s car this weekend. Meanwhile, Bell’s Front Tire Changer Houston Stamper and Tire Carrier Joe Crossen will move over to Wallace’s crew.
Additionally, Bell’s team, which sits on the Playoff cutline with a 20 point advantage over Kevin Harvick in 17th, will have a new Rear Tire Changer as well in AJ Rosini. Daniel Olszowy had been serving in that capacity for the No. 20 team before this weekend.
Wallace sits 25th in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings after Road America and he is 177 points outside of the Playoff cutline. Wallace will need to win a race, it seems, if he wants any hope of making it into the Playoffs.
That being said, the change on the pit crew roster should put a little extra confidence in Wallace’s back pocket this weekend in what is essentially a restrictor plater-style race. The 28-year old driver has an average finish of 10.667 at the three plate races so far this season, including his season’s best finish of second, which came in the season-opening Daytona 500.
