Bubba Wallace scored his first top-10 finish in a month Saturday and teased a potential deal.
NBCSN’s Marty Snider reported Sunday that Wallace confirmed he has an offer from Richard Petty Motorsports for next season and also has an offer from Chip Ganassi Racing for the No. 42 car.
Wallace finished ninth after starting 24th Saturday at Michigan International Speedway. Kevin Harvick won the race.
“Everybody say a prayer for us,” Wallace told NBCSN’s Marty Snider after the race. “There’s a big deal on the line right now and this can only help so much. I’ve yet to check my phone to see the status of it. This will send us over the top if we can get it done. Been a lot of hard work off the racetrack from my team, everybody involved to make things better and that’s what we’re trying to do. So putting solid runs tighter and having awesome restart all night this is only going to help the effort.”
Wallace acknowledged that silly season also has weighed on him. His contract expires after this season. RPM owner Andrew Murstein has offered ownership in the team as part of a contract extension. There also is believed to be interest from other teams in Wallace.
“We’re in the middle of silly season right now,” he said. “My mind is there, it’s here.”
Wallace was pleased with the finish Saturday - his fourth top-10 of the year and the most he’s had in any Cup season - but seeks more performance Sunday.
“I know this whole COVID-19 deal has been tough,” he said. “I haven’t been able to go to the shop and show my appreciation (to the team) and how much they really work and make our cars better week in and week out. It’s been fun. …To come out with a solid top-10 finish for us is positive. We’ve got a lot of work to do.
“I was not happy with the car, but I think that’s the racer mentality. I’m not sure if Harvick is happy about his car either. We always strive to be better. All in all a solid day.”