It’s never a dull day in NASCAR if Bubba Wallace is angry and that’s exactly what happened in Chicago. As Alex Bowman was celebrating his first race win of the season, the #23 slammed the #48 into the wall during the cooldown lap. This was in retaliation to when the Hendrick Motorsports star spun the 23XI Racing driver around during the race. There have been mixed reactions from fans about it ever since.
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Wallace was not apologetic after the incident and fans did not expect him to issue an apology. They believe that he was rightfully frustrated and Bowman was at fault. “You love to see it! Bowman trying to wreck everyone. He’s a hack,” one fan wrote on X. “Ima give Bubba a pass on that one. Nobody likes Alex Bowman,” quipped another user.
BUBBA WALLACE DOORSLAMMED ALEX BOWMAN. 😳
The No. 48 spun the No. 23 earlier in the race. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/C9GP93C4zC
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 8, 2024
However, there is no denying that the contact was dangerous. The 23XI Racing driver was not let off the hook by the entire NASCAR fanbase. “Just adds to the reasons people don’t like Wallace,” one fan opined. “Bubba once again proving he can’t be trusted with a car. He’s gonna hurt someone,” wrote another.
Normally in situations like this NASCAR comes out with a penalty for the culprit. However, Bowman does not want the 23XI Racing driver to be penalized despite causing contact.
‘He has every right to be mad’
The Hendrick Motorsports star took full responsibility for the earlier contact. At the time, the rain was coming down and he was struggling to get his windshield wiper working. Bowman was not focused on the upcoming braking zone and missed his mark. His tires locked up and he ran straight into Wallace.
“I’m pretty hard on myself when I make mistakes like that and I’ve been embarrassed about it since it happened. The rain delay was a lot of me just sitting there being embarrassed and being mad at myself. He has every right to be mad,” he told NBC Sports.
Hopefully, things will calm down between the two racers by the next race weekend. Seeing Bowman win must have been hard for Wallace after that incident. The 23XI Racing driver currently just sits outside the top 16 with six regular season races remaining.
