In the 2023 race at Richmond, Bubba Wallace showcased an impressive performance by leading 80 laps and securing top-five finishes in both stages. However, despite his strong run, a late-race shuffle on the final restart led to him settling for a 12th-place result.
Unfortunately, his day was marred once again by a late spin involving Kyle Larson just two laps before the race concluded. Bubba Wallace expressed frustration with the outcome, as it marked another instance where his promising performance did not translate into the desired result.
Bubba Wallace opens up after the incident with Kyle Larson
Bubba Wallace on what happened with Kyle Larson with a couple laps left in the Richmond race. pic.twitter.com/jBwo6nwgaS
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 1, 2024
With just two laps remaining in the race, Bubba Wallace made contact with Kyle Larson, hitting him from behind and causing Larson’s car to spin out into the infield grass. This incident prompted the fifth caution of the race, leading to overtime.
Following the race, in a conversation with Bob Pockrass, Bubba Wallace explained that Kyle Larson got loose and lost control of his car. Despite having a strong run and being content with a potential fifth-place finish, the incident and the subsequent late restart cost Wallace positions, resulting in him settling for 13th place. Wallace expressed regret to the No. 5 team, emphasizing that the contact was unintentional and apologizing for the outcome of the incident.
Kyle Larson shares his inner feelings and insights of the incident with Martin Truex Jr
On the flip side, Kyle Larson demonstrated remarkable skill in saving his car from contact with Bubba Wallace and was able to bring his #5 Chevy back onto the track. Despite losing some positions initially, Larson staged a comeback, regaining lost ground and ultimately finishing in 3rd place.
Reflecting on the incident with Bubba Wallace after the race, Kyle Larson discussed how he managed to recover and get back into contention. Larson also expressed shock at Martin Truex’s actions, suggesting that Truex might have turned his car left and into Larson’s maybe out of frustration for losing positions. Larson speculated that Truex’s anger may have been directed towards him as he was the closest competitor at the time.
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