Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman have a very complicated past. In 2019, at the Charlotte Roval, Wallace was furious with Bowman after an on-track accident. After the race, the 23XI driver expressed his displeasure with the controversial act of splashing water in his rival’s face while Bowman was receiving treatment. Wallace’s anger is understandable, but do you think it was the right time for his actions?
Fast forward to the race at Chicago, and Wallace is once again overcome by his emotions. He intentionally crashed into Alex Bowman on the cool-down lap, not during the race, in what was clearly an act of sheer vindictiveness.
Bubba Wallace has yet to learn that there is a time and place for everything!
The race in Chicago was a tough test for all the drivers, with a challenging track, increasingly tough rainy conditions and tough competition from Shane van Gisbergen. Before the race, all the drivers wanted one thing – to win. But Bubba had more reason than most to want it. He still has to make the playoffs, which certainly adds pressure. But what he did in anger is something many believe is unforgivable. Alex Bowman spun Wallace in turn 2 on the restart on lap 25. Bowman later clarified that it was a genuine mistake, as he was having trouble with his windshield wipers. He told NBC, “I have to apologize again to the 23 of them. I screwed up, missed the turn trying to turn on my wipers, and ruined their day. I hate it and I’m still embarrassed about it.”
But Bubba Wallace didn’t know any better at the time, and he was just bleeding after what happened. After Bowman out-ran Tyler Reddick and took his car all the way to the checkered flag for a fantastic win, he went into the cool-down lap and then Bubba Wallace came into play. There he wrecked Bowman’s right front in retaliation for what happened on lap 25.
Well, not only was this dangerous because Bowman had his window net down, but it’s also pretty damaging to Bubba Wallace’s reputation. This incident has overshadowed his recent positive efforts, tarnished his image, and overshadowed the progress he’s made so far. And Bob Pockrass recently posted that NASCAR is currently investigating the incident. “NASCAR will review the incident in which Bubba Wallace hit Alex Bowman with a car door on the cool-down lap,” he said. “Any penalties will be announced midweek.”
Bowman says the incident was minor and no penalty was needed, but NASCAR fans don’t agree. And they’re fed up with Wallace and his aggressive attitude.
Fans bash Bubba Wallace for ‘possible hate crime‘ against Alex Bowman
The driver’s aggression and frustration is understandable, but it’s nothing new. Plus, we’ve often seen doors slammed shut without any consequences. But not this. The race ended because the window net was down, and presumably the seatbelt wasn’t fastened properly. It was just too dangerous for Bowman. One fan highlighted this, saying, “Possible hate crime. Definitely attempted murder. Expulsion is the only option.”
Most drivers take their fights to the pit lane or discuss them later. We saw the infamous fight between Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and even that happened outside the car, with Stenhouse Jr. waiting for Busch. One fan said, “Show your aggression in victory lane/pit road…”
And this is not the first time Bubba Wallace has shown aggression towards Bowman. The 2019 incident did so much damage to Wallace’s image that people still remember it. One fan said, “Bubba is a repeat offender towards Bowman. Let’s not forget September 2019.” As they say, you have to know when to stop, but the fact that Wallace didn’t do so doesn’t seem like a big mistake. Bowman feels guilty about his mistake and doesn’t want NASCAR to punish Wallace, but fans believe he should be fined. “This gang is fine,” one fan said, showing just how much Wallace has ruined his reputation yet again. Another fan commented a similar sentiment, saying, “Sorry but Bubba should be fined.”
And while the fine has already been served, some simply say it doesn’t seem to have had any effect on Wallace and bigger measures may need to be taken. One user said: “He’s been reprimanded and suspended. It obviously didn’t help. Now it’s up to @McDonalds and other sponsors to take him off.” Maybe he’ll learn then.”
The NASCAR world is pretty shaken up by what happened between Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman. It feels like he’s being attacked from both sides when it comes to Bubba. He has yet to make the playoffs and is currently facing strong backlash from NASCAR fans. It’s certainly not a good situation. What kind of punishment do you think Bubba Wallace will receive?
