Race Weekend Central

Stock Car Scoop: What Should The Bubba Wallace – Kyle Larson Fallout Be From Las Vegas?

Despite a relatively calm ending to NASCAR’s visit to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Sunday’s (Oct. 16) Cup Series race there wasn’t without fireworks. Earlier in the event, Bubba Wallace took exception to Kyle Larson‘s racing after the No. 45 smacked the fence, moments later turning down into Larson and sending the No. 5 careening into Christopher Bell and the outside wall.

See also
Tempers Flare as Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson Crash Out in Las Vegas

Adam Cheek is joined by Brandon Hauff to break down the Sin City action, including what punishments, if any, should be levied after the incident. Plus, the duo discusses Joey Logano and Chase Briscoe‘s status as title contenders and more as they look back at an eventful South Point 400.

Sign up for Stock Car Scoop on Apple Podcasts and Spotify or visit Frontstretch every Monday and Friday throughout the year.

About the author

Adam Cheek joined Frontstretch as a contributing writer in January 2019. A 2020 graduate of VCU, he works as a producer and talent for Audacy Richmond's radio stations. In addition to motorsports journalism, Adam also covered and broadcasted numerous VCU athletics for the campus newspaper and radio station during his four years there. He's been a racing fan since the age of three, inheriting the passion from his grandfather, who raced in amateur events up and down the East Coast in the 1950s.

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Roger

Bubba needs anger management and some time off. He is a disgrace because it’s obvious that he is a poor loser who will never be a Champion despite tons of sponsorship. He has no excuse.

miller

Sure, Larson was when wrong he pinched Bubba, without touching him, up against the outer wall. But it was the type of move that happens scores of times every NASCAR season. Not that big a deal. Bubba’s response, however, was borderline criminal. Using your car as a weapon at 180 mph to crash into another car? Who the hell does that? Jumping out of your car and shoving around another driver, a NASCAR champion, who may be the smallest driver on the circuit? Who the hell does that? Whatever penalty is sent down by NASCAR will be nothing compared with his diminished value to the sponsors who advertise on his car now and in the future. For the rest of his career, Bubba will have to contend with a much-smaller paycheck. And massive booing from the grandstands. Good.

Last edited 1 year ago by miller
Robert

So if Bubba kept in his track and Larson had hit him in that three pass and spun him, would he have faced suspension?

Chris A

Totally disagree with the way Bubba handled this. He was not wrecked, yes he was tagged but this happens to every driver sometime during a race. However, with this instance Nascar has NO choice but to suspend him for at least 2 races. The reason is, Nascar has set a precedence for this. November 4, 2015 Nascar suspended Matt Kennesth for 2 races for intentionally wrecking Joey Loganno at Martinsville. November, 2011 Nascar set Kyle Busch down for both Xfinity and Cup race in Texas for him wrecking Ron Hornady in a truck race. What Bubba did was not only wreckless but could have had lasting effects considering the issues Nascar has had with this car and concussions, and season ending ramifications. I have no issue with drivers settling it themselves after the race, but to do this knowing what has happened this year to drivers during wrecks is not acceptable.

Tom Efland

Nothing wrong with what Wallace did even if it was intentional. A driver can not afford to become the door mat to such a low percentage move as Larson made. Bet it achieved its purpose. NASCAR should stick with the boys have at it policy on the track.

D. Freeman

Larson pinched him tight, but I don’t believe ever actually made contact. Larson had recognized and corrected back towards the infield before Wallace ever made contact with the wall. Up to that point it was a boys have at it racing incident. And, all cars involved were still in the race and at the front. But when Wallace performed retaliation at 180 + MPH in a non-recoverable impact for both he took three cars out of the race and risking everyone’s safety. Then Wallace topped it off by confronting Larson who simply raced him hard as though their being out of the race was Larson’s fault. The move that ended the day for three cars was all Wallace. If he had owned that move many old school NASCAR fans might have dropped the issue, but the fact that he blamed it on Larson, went into a tantrum, and further pushed away NASCAR Officials is what made the whole thing inappropriate in my opinion.

Klmossburg@gmail.com

Needs to be suspended, fined, and points taken away for touching and pushing official plus slamming Larson

Blaize

Soooo, Nascar…..time to see what you’re made of.

Larry jackson

If they say or do anything to Wallace he will play the racist card

Bob

So Bubber intentionally taps the rear quarter panel of the 5 at speed. Not good since all of concussions this year from wrecks then putting hands on an official. That’s a no no in most sports. But since nascar is chicken **** nothing will happen to the Bubber go figure

Steve C

Flub a dub has struck again. But he knows na$crap will go easy on him because he’s their main asset at proving they are good liberals now. He’s mediocre on a good day. What a joke, everyone at na$car is living a lie in the political manure they are in now.

Josh

Whoever believes Wallace was in the right obviously didn’t watch the race and just pure out hates Hendrick drivers. Larson was racing like all racers do, he may have slid up toward Wallace but when u run hard it happens, but larson never touched Wallace, Wallace’s “I never lift” is what got him, he pretty much wrecked himself because 1: if your in that predicament to where you know you could smack the wall you should let out to save the car, and 2: after touching the wall he intentionally got in the gas and run down track to hit larson, that is what ruined his race, if he had not retaliated he could have still been in the race after a pit stop, but being as selfish as he is, he not only risked his, larsons and every other drivers life on the track, he wrecked ended and totalled his and larsons day and ended a playoff driver’s day. So I agree with everybody who thinks Wallace should be penalized driver and owner points, fined, suspended, and forced to take anger management classes.
And I know I don’t have to say it for everybody to know it, but Wallace isn’t half the talent larson is. Just saying!
#Hendrick #5 is #1

Chris Metcalf

Nascar should park Bubba Wallace for the rest of this season. Yes Larson made a mistake, he admitted so in the interview. It was very obvious to anyone watching that Wallace retaliated. That kind of behavior has no place on the race track at 180 mph !!! If Nascar fined William Byron 100 grand for spinning Denny Hamlin at Texas for retaliation, then Wallace should be suspended for the remainder of the season !!! Bubba Wallace seems to forget about all the wrecks he has caused unintentionally which is more than I can count !!!

Wayne Richesson

No

Paul J. Lucier

Bubba seems to like to pick on drivers who are smaller or down, Bowman. Little more that a bully with a temper. Let him sit out the rest of the season.

EdBob

It’s called an invasive species.

EdBob

Arrest him.

Rick Coltman

Well, most of you guys got it right. Larson didn’t touch Babba; I have seen Larson come closer to others and not touch them, on more than one occasion with no problems. Yet when he gets close to one of Nascar’s self-proclaimed top driver, that same driver loses his concentration and hits the wall then bounces off the wall into Larson. The rest is history. One stupid act after the other in the name of self-justification. Blame the other guy for his own stupidity and his own substandard driving skills. Not to mention the lies that came out of his mouth in regard to the stupidity of his own actions. It is not the first time I have seen him blame others for his stupidity, he has done this throughout his career time and time again and get away with it. We have all seen it and it all is swept under the rug because of what he represents. Nascar’s only BLACK driver. What kind of bullshit excuse is that for any of his behavior in any of the races where he has done this. It comes down to a convenient excuse and that all it is. Nascar brags about trying to end racism in this sport. What a joke! How can you end racism when you continually refer to the driver’s as Nascar’s only Black driver, Babba Wallace or Kyle Larson as, Japanese American or Asian-American, even Daneil Swaraz (sorry for sp error on his name) as Nascar’s only Mexican driver. Never have they mentioned anyone’s else’s ancestral background. Skin color or race should never be mentioned if they want to end racism in regard to any of the driver’s period. To give others stiffer fines and penalties for the same actions in the past and then go lenient on Babba because you don’t want to rock the boat because it might upset some others in regard to the punishment handed out. is gutless on Nasar’s part. You touch an official in any other sport your days may be numbered for that sport or the fine would be rather large. Nascar has rules about walking down the track, brought into effect after a driver was hit and killed on the track by a car that didn’t see him when he walked down the track to give a driver shit for weaking him. That has been in effect for some time now. When Kyle Larson used the (N – Word) in a video game, it cost him a one-year suspension by Nascar for that mistake. Baba’s mistakes could have cost lives and all he gets is a one race suspension. Nascar has to look at themselves for the downfall of this sport and its lack of justice when dealing with driver like Babba. The owners of 23XI and their sponsors both need to question whether they want to have a driver like Babba Wallace representing them as a driver for that team and for that teams’ sponsors.

Thank you for reading this

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