Bubba Wallace was so close to winning at Kansas Speedway. On Sunday, Wallace finished in fifth place and earned 37 points at Kansas, but the heartbreak came after Denny Hamlin drove the No. 23 car up the track in Turn 3 on the final lap. The driver of the No. 23 car went from being locked into the Round of 8 to sitting 10th in the Round of 12 standings.

Wallace is 26 points behind Joey Logano for the final transfer spot into the Round of 8, and with the Round of 12 finale taking place at the Charlotte ROVAL, his situation is even more difficult. The 23XI Racing driver has never won on a road course in the NASCAR Cup Series, so he likely needs to point his way into the Round of 8 over Logano and Ross Chastain.

If another driver below the cut-line wins at the Charlotte ROVAL, Wallace would sit 34 points below Chase Briscoe for the final transfer spot. Wallace's best chance at making the Round of 8 was the final lap at Kansas, but there is still an outside chance that he can find a way to advance at the Charlotte ROVAL next weekend.

This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Bubba Wallace leaves Kansas with heartbreaking loss, deficit in Round of 12 points

Reporting by Austin Konenski, Motorsports Wire / Motorsports Wire

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