It is no news that NASCAR never fails to capitalize on an opportunity to blow a controversy between drivers out of proportion. But one time that it missed out on doing so was back in 2010 when a scuffle played out between a 16-year-old Bubba Wallace and slightly older Ryan Truex. The younger brother of Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. opened up about it recently to The Athletic.
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Wallace and Truex were running in the K&N Pro Series East at the time. Truex and Eddie MacDonald were racing for the win in the final lap in the Lee Speedway when Wallace drove three-wide with a new right rear tire, shoved Truex out of the way, and won the race for himself. Frustrated, Truex had run into Wallace’s car after the checkered flag and spun it.
Truex was outside the media center later when his counterpart walked up to him and demanded an answer for damaging his car. Truex narrated, “He’s like, ‘What was that all about?’ It was just me and him. There was nobody there. Like, there were two fans in the grandstands, and they both looked at each other and pointed and were watching because they thought we were going to throw down.”
Fortunately, the situation did not escalate and the drivers walked away without throwing hands. He continued, “I don’t know if anybody else other than me, him and maybe his PR guy ever saw that. No cameras were there, I know that. It was 2010, so nobody had their phones out.” Such an encounter in today’s world would mean extra dollars in NASCAR’s coffers at the expense of the drivers.
Ryan Truex ends part-time season in the Xfinity Series with a banger
Friday’s Xfinity Series race in Bristol was Truex’s final appearance for 2024. He finished fifth in his 10th race of the season for Joe Gibbs Racing and interestingly beat Dale Earnhardt Jr. at it. The popular icon was making a special appearance in his JR Motorsports ride and came in seventh place.
Racing with Dale Jr. was the experience of a lifetime for Truex. He told the press, “I had fun racing with Dale. I think the last time I raced against Dale was like, 2017 or 2016. It’s been a long time. I knew when he was behind me, he was probably getting frustrated because I was not giving it to him.”
In the ten races that he drove, Truex earned two victories and six top-10 finishes. He could be poised for a full-time season next year and there hasn’t been any confirmation regarding the same yet. He would be a legit title contender should he choose to take up the mission.
