Bubba Wallace has finally spoken out about the hefty $50,000 fine he was handed by NASCAR for slamming Alex Bowman’s door during the cool-down lap of last week’s Grant Park 165. According to the 23XI Racing icon, he let frustration get the better of him.
It all started on lap 25 of the rain-shortened race, when Bowman spun Wallace on the exit of turn 2. Wallace retaliated by hurling Bowman into the door. For the Alabama native, his run on the Chicago road course may have been his best road course performance of the last decade. In his last five starts at road course races, Wallace finished 20th (Sonoma), 15th (COTA), 16th (Charlotte), 12th (Watkins Glen), and 18th (Indy road course). His last top-5 and top-10 performances at road courses came in 2022 at Indy and Charlotte, respectively.
Reflecting on the same, Bubba Wallace said in an interview (via Sportsnaut):
“How many years I’ve been terrible at road courses, so I’ve put my heart and soul into getting better at them, spending time with my team and at the sim and trying to be better. Showing up to Chicago, that was our best road course race ever.”
“And to have that wiped out in two corners and then the conditions changed … when that’s all ripped away, you feel some type of entitlement to show your frustration,” he added. Here is a video of how things went down last week between Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman:
Although Wallace did not justify his actions, he reasoned:
“I’m not justifying it all but I’m a passionate guy and I let my frustration get the best of me.”
Bubba Wallace was fighting the Hendrick Motorsports driver for a playoff spot, as the duo were merely a few points apart from one another. However, Alex Bowman’s win secured the ninth playoff spot, while Bubba Wallace was demoted after falling 45 points short of the preliminary cut line.
“Probably the best thing that ever happened to me” – Bubba Wallace on his punishment
Bubba Wallace recently appeared before the media and said he wanted to apologize to several people close to him, including his publicist, Sidney Frierson. Wallace said (via Sportsnaut):
“That punishment was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I’ve been walking around for years being unhappy and with a personality that I’m not proud of. I apologize. I owe a lot of people an apology, especially those close to me. I start with you, Sid.”
Wallace felt his actions were just a reaction to people trying to get him out of the NASCAR arena. “I’m just frustrated. I’m trying too hard and not focusing on the right things,” he added. “The people who have wanted me out of the sport for the last four or five years don’t understand that.”
Nevertheless, the Toyota driver took full responsibility for his actions. He said the timing of the revenge wasn’t ideal.
Did I pick the wrong time? 100 percent,” Wallace told reporters. “The window nets were down, no seat belts on, it wasn’t an ideal situation.”
A week later, Wallace is now gearing up for the 21st race of the season at Pocono Raceway. His best race at the “Tricky Triangle” was in 2021, when he started seventh and finished fifth. The 30-year-old speedster is looking forward to his second playoff appearance this year.
