Bubba Wallace had another tough showing in a NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday.
The 23XI Racing driver had a tough DNF (did not finish) in the Cracker Barrel 400 at the Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday evening. Wallace has had multiple DNFs so far in 2026. He was involved in an incident with fellow Cup Series drivers Carson Hocevar and Chris Buescher.
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After the incident with Hocevar and Buescher, Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota collided with Alex Bowman’s No. 48. That ended Wallace’s day.
It was a frustrating result for Wallace, who had racked up some stage points in the first stage, before disappointing at the end of the race.
NASCAR on FOX.
Wallace has been involved in several unfortunate wrecks this year. He knows that he’s often on the receiving end of the criticism from NASCAR’s fan base. Wallace called out the “bad guy” reputation he gets for these wrecks.
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“Just minding our own business yet again,” Wallace explained after the race. “Another week that our team doesn’t get the finish that we deserve. I’m tired, man. It’s hard to be in the same boat constantly every week and you gotta figure out how to put it behind you and show up.
“I somehow become the bad guy days following this. So, I gotta figure out how to be better and learn from it. It’s really freaking hard when you’re driving your best and just trying to make progress throughout the race and you get wiped out. So, onto Michigan.”
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NASCAR fans react to Wallace’s complaint
NASCAR fans were quick to react to Wallace’s frustration.
“More excuses. Never take responsibility, always blame others,” one wrote.
“I like Bubba, but I know if I owned a race team, he couldn’t drive for me. His attitude after these messes is so stale and it just would be hard to keep the teams attitude & atmosphere going in the right direction. I hope he’s continued to get counseling for his family sake,” one fan added.
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“Brutal,” one added.
The NASCAR Cup Series season, meanwhile, will continue later this month, with the FireKeepers Casino 400 in Michigan on Sunday, June 7.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Jun 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the NASCAR section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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