Bubba Wallace received an order to suspend a race from NASCAR after a definite investigation he intentionally turned the defending Cup champion Kyle Larson in Las Vegas in a “dangerous act” of retaliation before confronting him afterwards.
Wallace had a shove match with Larson following Sunday’s incident in Las Vegas and also pushed a NASCAR official away. Tuesday’s suspension is part of NASCAR’s policy of conduct and could technically cover most of Wallace’s actions in Las Vegas.
But Steve O’Donnell, executive director of competitive and racing operations, said the penalties were for Wallace’s deliberate and dangerous retaliation against Larson, not the violation. a few minutes later.
O’Donnell said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio: “When we consider how that incident happened, in our minds, (it was) really a dangerous act that we thought was intentional. and put other competitors at risk.
Still, Wallace’s suspension for this Sunday’s race at the Homestead-Miami Highway is a rare move: Wallace is the first Cup Series driver to be suspended for an on-track incident since Matt Kenseth passed two races in 2015 because of an incident at Martinsville.
23XI Racing, owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, is not appealing the sentence, and John Hunter Nemechek will replace Wallace this weekend.
“23XI aligns with NASCAR regarding the one-race suspension issued to Bubba, and we understand the need for the series to take a clear stance on the incidents that occurred at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,” the team said. said in a statement. act inconsistent with the values of our team and partners. We spoke to Bubba and expressed disagreement about how he handled the situation. Bubba has made impressive strides this season, and the experience is an opportunity for him to learn and grow further as a competitor in NASCAR. “
Larson, who had been knocked out of the knockout stages a week earlier, and Wallace, who failed to qualify to run for the Cup title, clashed at Lap 94 in Las Vegas. Larson attempted a three-minute wide pass and Kevin Harvick in the middle was dropped from the group. Larson slid up the track toward Wallace, who didn’t press the gas to give Larson any space. Larson then shoved Wallace’s Toyota on Wall.
Wallace led 29 laps in a car he believed was likely to win and he reacted by following Larson’s car down to the parking lot, where he appeared to purposely hook him into the back corner. to retaliate. That set Larson on the path of Christopher Bell, a title contender who was part of the Toyota camp alongside Wallace.
The collision ended Bell’s race and sent him down to last place in the eight-driver playoff standings.
Wallace, meanwhile, climbed out of his car and headed for the track towards Larson. Wallace screamed before he reached Larson and immediately began shoving the smaller driver.
Larson tried to turn away from him and lift his arm several times to block Wallace’s shove, but Wallace was shot several times before a NASCAR safety officer separated the two.
Wallace on Monday night apologized “for my actions” in a post on social media, he titled “Contemplation”. He apologized specifically to NASCAR and its fans, as well as Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota for “putting them in a situation they didn’t deserve in the Playoffs.”
His post doesn’t mention wrecking Larson – Wallace has stated that his steering wheel broke when he hit a wall – or specifically apologizing to the champion.
Wallace writes: “I play with great passion, and with passion that sometimes leads to disappointment. “After reflecting, I should have represented my partners and the team’s core values better than I did by letting my frustration follow me outside the car. You live and learn, and I intend to learn from this.”
Wallace, the only black driver at the top level of NASCAR, have shown clear progress this season under close supervision. The incident was harshly criticized by some of his fellow drivers, who called for safety improvements to NASCAR’s new Next Gen vehicle following recent injuries.
Joey Logano, winner of Sunday’s race and the first driver to reach the championship-determining final, said “Wallace’s retaliation is not okay.”
Logano said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio: “If he rotated (Larson) into the field, maybe it would be a little bit better. “But it is not good for the rear to have to hook someone in the box. I don’t think anyone realizes how bad that can be. That could be the end of Kyle Larson’s career. For me that’s what’s on the line. Or, his life. “
Logano said Larson was really lucky to hit Bell and not straight into the wall.
“(Larson) might have hit that thing on the side. And then the game is over. There’s no place for that. You can’t do that,” Logano said. “I don’t like using cars as weapons. If you’re that crazy, just go out and fight him.”
NASCAR also announced that Kyle Busch’s captain, Ben Beshore, along with two pit team members were suspended for the next four races after a wheel popped during a Las Vegas race.
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