The images of Bubba Wallace angrily shoving Kyle Larson down the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2020 remain fresh in many hearts. The 23XI Racing driver had been angered by Larson after the HMS driver set off a move that wrecked them both. Despite Wallace’s aggression, Larson did not retaliate against him physically for a good reason.
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Tony Stewart is a close aide and mentor of Larson. In a recent interview, he revealed what had been on the driver’s mind during the incident.
He said, “I was so mad at Kyle. I’m like, ‘Don’t ever let him do that to you again!’ He told me, bless his heart, he goes, ‘I’ve never been in a fight my whole life.’ I didn’t want to get my a** kicked in front of all those people.”
Larson is not the most intimidating driver on the field. Nor does he try to be it. He is known for being calm and collected in most situations. In the aftermath of Las Vegas, he even admitted that Wallace was right to be angry at him and wasn’t upset for being confronted outside the car. The relaxedness stems from the lack of interest in being at odds with anyone.
He told the press, “I’m 5-(foot)-6, 135 pounds. I’m not going to get too wound up about anything.” This leads one to wonder if he would be a more volatile person if he was physically bigger. Either way, his focus is all on running as many races as he can and winning as many accolades as he can before retiring. He is steady on that path.
What exactly happened between Larson and Wallace
Wallace and Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick were battling for position during the race when Larson attempted a three-wide pass on them. Harvick, who was in the middle, slowed down at a crucial moment, and Larson slid up the track into Wallace. Wallace did not lift to give Larson any room and was shoved into the wall.
The 23XI Racing driver did not take well to this. He bounced back down the track and appeared to intentionally hook his competitor. Larson’s car spun into the way of Christopher Bell and ended his day as well. Wallace jumped out of his car and marched angrily to Larson. He was yelling before he even got to him.
Larson tried to turn away but got shoved multiple times before a safety worker arrived to separate the two. Wallace, obviously, defended himself at first and claimed that he hadn’t hooked Larson intentionally. However, both Larson and Bell saw it that way. NASCAR hit Wallace with a one-race suspension as a result.
