Last year, Alex Bowman broke an 80-race dry spell with a win on the streets of Chicago. However, the victory didn’t come without its fair share of twists, especially the #48 Chevrolet driver’s run-in with Bubba Wallace.
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On Lap 25, Bowman caught up with Wallace’s #23 Toyota, clipped the side, and sent him spinning into the wall. Tensions ran high, and during the cool-down lap, Wallace expressed his displeasure by making contact with Bowman’s car as the latter celebrated. However, according to Bowman, that chapter was closed within a week.
Last season, ahead of the Pocono race, during an appearance on SpeedFreaks, Bowman put a lid on the brewing tension, going against what many fans had expected.
He said, “Yeah, that’s all keyboard Warriors. I totally missed the corner trying to get my windshield wiper turned on and was fighting with stuff inside the car, and missed the corner and spun him out earlier in the race.”
Still, he didn’t sweep Wallace’s reaction under the rug. Acknowledging the heat of the moment, he said, “I would have been mad too if I were him. So, I totally get that.”
Bowman also added, “We talked on Monday, and he probably owes me one, but from my side, we’re fine. So, him and I are all good… I think keyboard Warriors like to make something out of nothing.”
Immediately after the contact from Wallace on the cool-down lap, Bowman downplayed the incident in his post-race interview, stating that #23 barely touched him and that it was well deserved.
Subsequently, NASCAR handed Bubba Wallace a $50,000 fine for initiating contact with Bowman after the checkered flag waved in Chicago. Since the incident occurred post-race and not under caution, when safety vehicles might be on track or race positions could be affected, it was not deemed severe enough to warrant a points penalty.
With Kansas Speedway up next, where Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher crossed the line in one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history last year, besides them, eyes will be on Bowman and Wallace as they have shown glimpses of speed this season but have not been able to materialize it yet.
Currently, the two sit just one spot apart in the standings, with Wallace in P7 and Bowman in P9, both still chasing their first win of the season.
