- Bubba Wallace, driving the No. 23 car for 23XI Racing, was reportedly "stewing" all week long.
- The veteran NASCAR Cup Series driver was bothered by how things transpired at Kansas last weekend.
- Wallace had a chance for a massive victory, but ultimately was unable to get the job done late.
Bubba Wallace was not a happy man this week.
The veteran NASCAR Cup Series driver was reportedly "stewing" all week long, as the 23XI Racing driver was not happy. He was bothered by how things transpired at the end of last Sunday's race at the Kansas Speedway.
Wallace and his 23XI Racing boss, Denny Hamlin, had a racing incident. Hamlin and Wallace were battling for the lead late in the race. Hamlin, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, was battling for the lead with Wallace late in the race. He ultimately drifted into Wallace, which caused the 23XI Racing driver to hit the wall.
The 23XI Racing driver finished in fifth place, while Hamlin finished in second. Chase Elliott ultimately won the race.
Wallace spoke out this week, admitting that "95 percent" of NASCAR drivers felt that Hamlin's move was out of bounds.
"I don't fault Denny Hamlin for racing for win, racing for his team and his sponsors," Wallace said Saturday on the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course, per Fox Sports. "I get the question a lot — what's it like racing Denny on the race track?
"No offense to them, but I could give two (expletives), because he's a competitor, and he has labeled it that way. And so that was two competitors going for a win, and so as much as it didn't work out, I have to respect that."
The lack of a win ultimately cost Wallace a realistic chance at competing for the Cup Series championship. He's now way back in the field facing elimination on Sunday.
"I'm sure it's a difficult thing [for Hamlin] to juggle. It's really good if I get 60 wins, and it's really good that I advance myself in playoffs," Wallace said of the contact made with his boss. "But, man, it's also really good if the car that I own gets locked into the next round and a lot of money on the line. There's a lot of layers to all of that.
"I would assume you don't think about that in the moment you're going for a win, and you do what you’ve got to do. That’s what we've always done since we were kids, since we started out. And you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to win races, some respectful more than others."
The NASCAR Cup Series will continue in Charlotte on Sunday.
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Oct 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the NASCAR section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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