Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace were both noted by NASCAR following the Chicago Street Race for retaliatory actions on the cooldown lap of the event last weekend. Despite bumping into Daniel Suarez, the 2020 Cup Series champion was let off the hook. However, Wallace was penalized and fined $50,000 for door-slamming Alex Bowman after the checkered flag. The NASCAR community has been divided since the penalty was announced but Elliott is on Wallace’s side.
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Speaking to the media ahead of the sport’s visit to Pocono Raceway, the Hendrick Motorsports star said he disagreed with the fine. Bowman did spin the 23XI Racing driver around during the race and then won the event, leading to increased frustration in the 23XI Racing camp. Wallace has yet to book a spot in the playoffs, with only six races left to do so.
Denny Hamlin said they likely will not appeal Bubba Wallace penalty. He said he felt with the cameras catching it live created enough fan response that NASCAR felt it had to react, it being different than a highlight that emerges well after the race.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 13, 2024
“I don’t really think he should have been fined. I understand, but man you’re getting in the weeds with some of that stuff. Nobody was hurt and it was unfortunate, I guess, just the circumstances and Alex having won the race and things of that nature. But I didn’t see it to be a huge deal,” Elliott said.
Bubba Wallace has been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism from fans ever since his visit to ‘The Windy City’. The community has also been divided on what the governing body deems as penalty-worthy and what is let off the hook. NASCAR has stated its decision making process as one which relies on judgment calls while looking at incidents in isolation.
Why Bubba Wallace thinks his penalty is for the good
The 23XI star accepted responsibility for his actions and apologized ahead of this week’s race in Pennsylvania. After having qualified for the postseason last year, things seem to be heading backwards for the #23 Toyota Camry driver. He currently sits 45 points below the cutoff line. It remains to be seen if Wallace can punch his way into the Playoffs with a win during the upcoming events.
“The penalty was probably the best thing to happen to me,” he said as per NASCAR. “I’ve been miserable for years walking around with a persona that I’m not proud of. I apologize. I need to apologize to a lot of people that are close to me.”
The Cup Series travels to the Pocono Raceway this Sunday. While it is not a track where he has had a lot of success, Wallace will be looking to finish as high up as possible to close the gap to the top 16.
