NASCAR Issues One-Race Suspension to Bubba Wallace for Las Vegas Incident

Homestead-Miami Speedway Race Affected by Rare Decision

Las Vegas, Nevada — In a rare move, NASCAR has suspended driver Bubba Wallace for one race following an investigation into his intentional spin of reigning Cup champion Kyle Larson at Las Vegas. The suspension, announced on Tuesday, falls under NASCAR’s behavioral policy and is a consequence of what was deemed a dangerous and deliberate act of retaliation by Wallace.

Steve O’Donnell, the executive overseeing competition and racing operations, clarified that the penalties were specifically for Wallace’s intentional retaliation against Larson, rather than the subsequent on-track altercation. The suspension for this Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway is a significant step, making Wallace the first Cup Series driver to be suspended for an on-track incident since 2015.

Wallace, who leads 23XI Racing, an organization owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, will not appeal the penalty. John Hunter Nemechek will replace Wallace for the upcoming race.

23XI Racing expressed alignment with NASCAR’s decision, stating, “Bubba’s actions are not in keeping with the values of our team and partners. We have spoken to Bubba and expressed our disapproval of how he handled the situation.”

The incident at Las Vegas occurred when Larson and Wallace clashed during Lap 94 of the race. Larson attempted a three-wide pass, and Wallace did not yield, resulting in contact that sent Larson into the wall. In retaliation, Wallace followed Larson and intentionally hooked his car, causing a crash that ended Christopher Bell’s race and impacted the playoff standings.

Wallace later confronted Larson on the track, leading to a physical altercation.

On Monday night, Wallace posted an apology on social media, acknowledging his actions and expressing regret for the repercussions of the incident.

Reflection. pic.twitter.com/ZpamWzjZJR

— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) October 17, 2022

The suspension further draws attention to safety concerns within NASCAR, with some drivers calling for improvements to the Next Gen car following recent incidents. Joey Logano, the winner of the Las Vegas race, criticized Wallace’s retaliation, emphasizing the potential severity of the consequences.

In addition to Wallace’s suspension, NASCAR announced that Kyle Busch’s crew chief, Ben Beshore, along with two pit crew members, has been suspended for the next four races due to a wheel coming off during the Las Vegas race.