NASCAR News: Bubba Wallace Text Bowman After Incident – This Is What It Said

Bubba Wallace confronted fellow NASCAR driver Alex Bowman following a contentious on-track incident that has sparked discussions across the sport’s community. Both competing fiercely for a place in the playoffs, emotions flared when Bowman, who eventually won the race, inadvertently spun Wallace out during Stage 2. The tension peaked post-race, leading to Wallace slamming Bowman’s car door in frustration with his own car.

The discourse between the drivers didn’t end at the race track. During a subsequent delay, Bowman originally reached out to Wallace with a text apologizing for the initial hit. Talking to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, Wallace explained the conversation he had.

“[Alex Bowman] texted me, ‘Hey man, sorry, immediately locked up.’ He didn’t mention anything about switches until he got on TV,” he said. “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.”

However, the fallout from the incident was not without its consequences for Wallace. NASCAR imposed a $50,000 fine on him for his behavior. Learning of this fine at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he was attending the Summer Shootout, Wallace expressed his mixed feelings.

“I will say I got my media training from Kevin Harvick,” he began.

“[Kevin Harvick]’s like, ‘You ready to roll? Ready to go qualify?’ I said, ‘Nope not really, just got fined.’ He’s like, ‘Man, that sucks.’ He told me to show up with a smile on my face and accept it. So, here’s my smile. Might not agree with the penalty but I’m smiling about it. He also told me a lot of powerful things. Just show up and be the fun-loving guy that I am throughout the week.”

Wallace also commented on the effect the penalty had on him:

“Penalty was probably the best way that’s happened to me. I’ve been miserable for years, walking around with a persona that I’m not proud of. I need to apologize to a lot of people, especially that are close to me… Just frustrated and trying way too hard and not focused on the right things.”

He continued:

“Showing up to Chicago that was our best road course race ever, and to have that wiped out in two corners when the conditions changed, over messing with switches, we all know messing with switches, you don’t mess with switches in the smallest part of the track and you have seven or eight caution laps.

“When that’s all ripped away, you feel some type of entitlement to show your frustration. Did I time it wrong? Sure, 100%.” The moment was exacerbated by the fact that Bowman won the race. “His window net was down and his seat belts were off, not an ideal situation. You know, and it’s the guy you’re racing in the points, and then he goes on to win the race so it’s like icing on the cake, right?

“So, it’s just three or four slaps in the face when you’re working your ass off to be better for the team, just ripped away. Not that I’m justifying it at all but I’m a passionate guy, and I let my frustration get the best of me.”