Bubba Wallace is facing backlash from NASCAR fans after a controversial incident during Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.
Wallace, who drives for 23XI Racing, had a rough outing and finished 21st. Meanwhile, his team owner Denny Hamlin claimed victory for the second consecutive week. But questions arose about whether Wallace played a role in helping his teammate, Tyler Reddick, during the race.
Toward the end of the race, Wallace was accused of deliberately wrecking Kyle Larson, a move that fans believe might have been an attempt to help Reddick regain the lead. The incident sparked outrage across social media.
“BUBBA WALLACE WRECKS LARSON TO TRY AND HELP REDDICK. SHOULD BE AN AUTOMATIC BLANEY WIN. THAT IS CHEAP, DIRTY RACING,” one angry fan posted. Others criticized the TV broadcast for not acknowledging the controversy.
However, some fans pushed back against the narrative, suggesting Larson was actually at fault. According to Auto Racing Analytics, data showed that Larson unexpectedly hit the brakes before the contact with Wallace. A comparison of lap data revealed that Larson hadn’t used the brakes at that spot the previous lap.
After the race, Wallace addressed the situation in an interview with Jeff Gluck. He said he didn’t understand why Larson slowed down so much after Reddick hit the wall, but did express regret for impacting Ryan Blaney’s race. Wallace was seen speaking privately with Blaney afterward, though Blaney declined to share what was said.
So, who was really to blame? The debate continues.
