NASCAR Fans Left Fuming as Bubba Wallace’s Strange Behavior With Roger Penske’s Driver Confuses All

NASCAR’s history is filled with heated confrontations that define the sport’s raw emotion – from the infamous 2019 Martinsville clash between Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin to countless pit road brawls. But sometimes, it’s the quiet interactions that ignite the loudest fan reactions. Such was the case at Darlington this past weekend when Bubba Wallace approached Ryan Blaney during a post-race interview in a moment that left viewers puzzled and social media ablaze. The brief exchange happened just hours after Wallace had been cleared of blame for the late-race caution involving Kyle Larson, which ultimately cost Blaney a potential victory.

The incident occurred during FOX’s post-race coverage as Blaney was explaining his near-win strategy. As Blaney described his methodical approach of tracking down Tyler Reddick late in the race, Wallace suddenly appeared, leaning in to whisper something before quickly walking away. Now we know that both Blaney and Wallace are close friends, but why did the 23XI Racing star interrupt his interview? Did he come clean on the incident that waved the caution and ultimately ended Blaney’s hopes for a win?

What transpired between Bubba Wallace and Larson was far more complex than initial reactions suggested. With just four laps remaining in the race, Ryan Blaney had finally muscled past Tyler Reddick for the lead, forcing Reddick to scrape the wall in Turn 2. Behind them, Larson – who was over 160 laps down after an earlier crash – was running with fresh tires and had just passed Wallace. Now, we know that the two drivers share a bit of history, but they weren’t racing each other at Darlington. But something strange happened as they made their exit from Turn 4.

When Reddick hit the wall ahead, Larson abruptly checked up, slowing by nearly 20mph. Wallace, tucked directly behind Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet, couldn’t see Reddick’s situation and had no time to react, hitting Larson from behind and sending him spinning into the inside wall. It looked sketchy, to say the least, and gave the fans a glimpse of last year’s Martinsville playoff race.

While Blaney had been cruising to his first Darlington win, the ensuing pit stops and overtime restart completely reshuffled the field. Denny Hamlin – Wallace’s team co-owner at 23XI Racing – capitalized with a lightning-fast pit stop that vaulted him from third to first. Hamlin held the lead for the final two laps, while Blaney, delayed by his own pit stop, fell to fifth. Wallace’s radio immediately after contact revealed his frustration: “Brother, that was not that big of a [expletive] checkup… Ugh, I didn’t [expletive] want that,” confirming he had no intention of causing the incident.

In-car footage and telemetry data conclusively showed that Larson’s unexpected braking was the catalyst. Auto Racing Analytics confirmed that “data shows that Larson hit the brakes right before contact with Wallace. The previous lap Larson didn’t use brake there,” demonstrating that Bubba Wallace faced an unpredictable situation. Cliff Daniels, Larson’s crew chief, validated this account, telling reporter Jeff Gluck: “Kyle told him he felt bad about being part of the last caution. They were trying to stay out of the way of the leaders and stay low, and Larson checked up early to make sure he didn’t get into Reddick, but Bubba didn’t know Larson was going to slow down that much.”

As Ryan Blaney answered a question on whether tracking down Tyler Reddick was a tongue-hanging-out run or more methodical, Bubba Wallace came over to talk to him (presumably about the last caution where Larson slowed in front of Wallace). @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/VEHHs2Il14

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 7, 2025

Knowing that he didn’t deliberately alter the outcome of the race, Wallace should’ve been relaxed and at peace. But he was feeling the nerves and tried to clear the air with his friend Blaney by crashing his interview. And this over-eagerness to explain himself landed Wallace in trouble.

Fan Fury: Wallace-Blaney Exchange Sparks Heated Debate

“Bubba needs to take it easy he lets the actions of others take over his ability to stay in the moment and try and get to the front and stay there. And then after the race it’s always the victim stance.” A fan stated. Well, if anything Kyle Larson was the one who should’ve apologized to Blaney. But for some reason, Wallace took the onus on himself and his timing couldn’t have been more off. Given his connection with Blaney, he could’ve had this conversation behind the scenes, but he did it in front of the cameras.

“Drivers aren’t allowed to talk in friendship after a race. That is not the done thing,” another fan sarcastically commented, highlighting the unwritten rules of NASCAR’s competitive culture. Ideally, Wallace shouldn’t be the one clearing things out, as he and Blaney are rivals on the racetrack. If anything, NASCAR officials are the ones who should be making the call if they find something fishy. But there was enough evidence in this case that Wallace didn’t alter the finish of the race, and his act of secretly whispering in front of the camera wasn’t appreciated by a lot of fans.

While Bubba has been doing well since the start of the 2025 season, fans haven’t lost track of his troubles from last year. He was winless the entirety of 2024 and watched his teammate Tyler Reddick reach the playoffs and even took 23XI Racing to the championship race. Now, it’s hard to argue that Wallace doesn’t have the talent to compete at the top level, but some fans believe that his best skills are in front of the camera, in creating drama. “Bubba is a no talent driver that knew the camara was on, and just wanting attention. From hoax to trying anything to try to resemble a true race car driver. A total loser!”

Perhaps the most scathing reaction came from a fan suggesting deeper implications: “Can’t believe Blaney just let him walk off, but Blaney knows you can’t say anything to the golden child of Nascar without it becoming something else entirely. I’d be super p—– if I was Larson, that’s twice he’s been intentionally wrecked by Wallace.” This comment evokes a controversial history between Wallace and Larson, including their 2022 Las Vegas incident. However, the comment directly contradicts Larson’s own admission through his crew chief that he “felt bad about being part of the last caution” and the definitive data showing his unusual braking pattern. Additionally, Larson himself was heard on his radio saying, “I was checking up so that’s embarrassing,” fully acknowledging his role in the incident.

As both drivers look ahead to Bristol, where Larson won dominantly last September (leading 462 laps) and Wallace secured one of his few top-5 finishes at the track, the Darlington whisper remains a curious footnote. While Wallace has been cleared of blame in the racing incident, his mid-interview approach to Blaney demonstrates how even the smallest gestures in NASCAR can spark passionate fan debates. To make matters worse, the #23 team couldn’t continue their good run and settled for a P21 finish.

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