NASCAR fined 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace $50,000 for aggressive conduct toward Alex Bowman after the race in Chicago. He slammed the door of the No. 48 car while celebrating a win, apparently resulting from contact between the two during the race.
Wallace’s chances of finishing inside the top 10 in the No. 23 car at the Grant Park 165 diminished as the riders struggled on Chicago’s wet streets. He started the race from sixth and had a good chance of finishing inside the top 10 and getting closer to a playoff spot. But as rain covered the entire road, he had a moment with Bowman’s No. 48 Chevrolet. Exiting turn 2, Alex Bowman pushed Bubba Wallace off the inside line. As a result, he first ran into the tire stack and then was parked parallel to it. Bowman was able to get away and continue racing, but Wallace remained blocked, which affected his race and that of Daniel Suarez, who was stuck behind him. In the end, Wallace finished the race in 13th place, missing out on a possible top 10 finish.
Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t very happy about the incident. After the race, as Alex Bowman was celebrating his win, Wallace stood next to him and drove his car into the No. 48 car. Today, NASCAR fined him a hefty $50,000 for his actions: “Bubba Wallace, driver of the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota, has been fined $50,000 for violating Sections 4.4.B and D of the NASCAR Member Code of Conduct during Sunday’s Grant Park 165. (via NASCAR.com)
“I ruined his day”: Alex Bowman on colliding with Bubba Wallace during the race
Although the incident seemed pretty heated when it happened, Alex Bowman sympathized with Wallace. He explained that driver #23 had “every right” to react aggressively. The Hendrick Motorsports driver went on to explain that it was his fault that his tires locked up and collided with Wallace. He said (quoted by NBC Sports):
“I’d be mad too. I ruined his day.” The restart was chaotic. I just made the worst decision I could possibly imagine. I was fighting to get the windshield wiper switch to work and I couldn’t get it to work. I was concentrating on that and missed my turn. I locked up all four tires and just ran into him. I just screwed up and ruined his day.’
He has a right to be angry,” Bowman added. Bubba Wallace is currently 17th in the playoff standings, 45 points away from elimination.
