Bubba Wallace Delivers Verdict On Controversial Richmond Raceway Finish

The recent event at Richmond was mired in controversy primarily due to aggressive driving tactics that many, including seasoned driver Denny Hamlin, have attributed to the flaws in NASCAR’s recent championship format.

Hamlin did not mince words, stating, as quoted by Motorsport:

“We’re trying to manufacture these types of moments and when we do it and we look silly like tonight … your sport has mud on its face. But I think there’s probably people in Daytona [NASCAR headquarters] who love this shit and they’re the ones who are sending this sport backwards.”

Bubba Wallace has been an outspoken critic of the current system’s effect on driver decisions. His robust perspective stems not just from the recent race, but from his broader experiences within NASCAR. Reflecting on the system, Wallace pointed out:

“[It’s] the system’s fault. They created this system where you put it on the line, but at the same time, we always say will you wreck your mother to win? ‘Of course, yeah.’ No, you wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. You do everything in your power under the respectful line to win the race.”

Wallace also drew comparisons to previous incidents, differentiating the Richmond debacle from racing maneuvers deemed more respectful, such as Joey Logano’s famed nudge against Martin Truex Jr. at Martinsville in 2018.

“Now people want to relate Logano and Truex at Martinsville the same as what happened to Richmond. Who are these people? He moved him out of the way, knocked him out of the groove, and they drag-raced to the line. Yeah, he may have plowed him, but he didn’t spin him out, wreck him and didn’t give him a chance to finish. He finished second. Where Truex messed up is he shouldn’t have let him get to his back bumper. Kept him on the outside. It is nuts how we can relate that to this and this to that.

“You have to earn and respect your way in the Cup level … If the officials don’t take care of you, we know how to take care of you.”

NASCAR Cup Series Current Standings

1. Kyle Larson – 779 points
2. Denny Hamlin – 758 points
3. Christopher Bell – 701 points
4. William Byron – 678 points
5. Ryan Blaney – 702 points
6. Tyler Reddick – 774 points
7. Chase Elliott – 773 points
8. Brad Keselowski – 636 points
9. Alex Bowman – 615 points
10. Joey Logano – 557 points
11. Daniel Suarez – 497 points
12. Austin Cindric – 451 points
13. Martin Truex Jr. – 662 points
14. Ty Gibbs – 602 points
15. Bubba Wallace – 587 points
16. Chris Buescher – 584 points
    (PLAYOFFS CUT-OFF)
17. Ross Chastain – 584 points
18. Chase Briscoe – 485 points
19. Kyle Busch – 465 points
20. Todd Gilliland – 454 points
21. Michael McDowell – 431 points
22. Carson Hocevar – 414 points
23. Josh Berry – 412 points
24. Noah Gragson – 400 points
25. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 376 points
26. Ryan Preece – 341 points
27. Erik Jones – 337 points
28. Justin Haley – 329 points
29. Corey LaJoie – 327 points
30. Daniel Hemric – 323 points
31. Austin Dillon – 319 points
32. John Hunter Nemechek – 313 points
33. Zane Smith – 262 points
34. Harrison Burton – 243 points
35. Kaz Grala – 166 points
36. Cody Ware – 47 points
37. Joey Hand – 43 points
38. Jimmie Johnson – 39 points
39. Derek Kraus – 32 points
40. David Ragan – 17 points
41. Kamui Kobayashi – 8 points
42. Will Brown – 6 points
43. Cam Waters – 2 points