NASCAR REPORT: Bubba Wallace Has Officially announced His is departing from NASCAR and Reason Why…..
Bubba Wallace will be returning to a track that he is intimately familiar with, thanks to Kyle Larson.
In October 2022, the 23XI Racing driver was going along on Lap 94 during the South Point 400. Larson attempted to do a three-wide pass and Wallace kept his foot on the gas, not giving the former any room and led to Larson slamming Wallace’s Toyota into the wall, which the 23XI star did not appreciate.
Once Larson’s car was at the apron, Wallace appeared to intentionally hook the Hendrick Motorsports star and into Christopher Bell, who saw his race end as a result of the incident. After both drivers made their way out of their cars, an incensed Wallace approached Larson and repeatedly shoved him, despite the officials’ warnings.
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Speaking with reporters after the kerfuffle, Wallace stated per ESPN: “I’m smart enough to know how easily these cars break, so when you get shoved into the fence deliberately like he did trying to force me to lift, the steering was gone. Larson wanted to make a three-wide divebomb, but he never cleared me and I don’t lift.
I know I’m kind of new to running up front, but I don’t lift. I wasn’t even at a spot to lift and he never lifted, either, and now we’re junk. Just [very bad] move of his execution. He knows what he did was wrong. He wanted to question what I was doing, and he never cleared me.”
For his part, Wallace was suspended one race, which was because NASCAR deemed the 23XI star’s actions to have put other drivers at risk. “When we look at how that incident occurred, in our minds, (it was) really a dangerous act that we thought was intentional and put other competitors at risk,” Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s executive in charge of competition and racing operations, said at the time.
In the aftermath, 23XI released a statement regarding the wreck and Wallace’s actions, stating: “23XI is aligned with NASCAR on the one-race suspension issued to Bubba and we understand the need for the series to take a clear stand on the incidents that took place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Bubba’s actions are not in keeping with the values of our team and partners. We have spoken to Bubba and expressed our disapproval of how he handled the situation. Bubba has made impressive strides this season and this experience is an opportunity for him to further learn and grow as a competitor in NASCAR.”
Wallace released his own apology on social media, which interestingly did not feature an apology to Larson for the shoving match between the two men.
