Today was the first time since the Chicago race that Bubba Wallace spoke about the incident with Alex Bowman. For those wondering, the two NASCAR drivers have resolved their issues.
Bubba Wallace responded to being spun out by Alex Bowman in Stage 2 with a door slam after the race. The tension was heightened as they were both competing for the playoff bubble, and Bowman went on to win, adding insult to injury.
During a weather delay, Bowman reached out to apologize, but Wallace didn’t reply until after the race. In the end, they patched things up.
“[Alex Bowman] texted me, ‘Hey man, sorry, immediately locked up.’ He didn’t mention anything about switches until he got on TV,” Wallace said, via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “He’s like, ‘If there’s any consolation, my s**t’s destroyed too.’ And I texted him after the race, ‘Yeah, real destroyed, nice job on the win.’ So, we’re good.”
Wallace has gained a new perspective on the situation after a brief talk with Kevin Harvick.
Bubba Wallace’s Conversation with Kevin Harvick
When Bubba Wallace learned about his $50,000 fine from NASCAR for his actions after the Chicago race, he was at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Coincidentally, Kevin Harvick was also there with his son Keelan, who was racing in the Summer Shootout, as was Wallace.
The timing was perfect. Harvick offered Wallace some advice right when he found out about his penalty. Wallace shared his experience at Pocono Raceway.
“I will say I got my media training from Kevin Harvick,” Wallace said, via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “At the track, during the Shootout race, Legend Cars racing with him and Keelan, he asked if I was ready to qualify. I said, ‘Nope, not really, just got fined.’ He said, ‘Man, that sucks.’ He advised me to show up with a smile and accept it. So, here’s my smile. Might not agree with the penalty but I’m smiling about it. He also shared a lot of powerful advice. Just show up and be the fun-loving guy that I am throughout the week.”
Wallace believes this might be the best thing that’s happened to him. Only time will tell if that’s true.