NASCAR Bubba Wallace Suspension Sets New Precedent It Must Uphold

Did You Notice? … Bubba Wallace was suspended for his actions Sunday (Oct. 16) in a wreck-turned-fight at Las Vegas Motor Speedway involving Kyle Larson?

NASCAR made the announcement Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 18) that Wallace will be sidelined for the upcoming race at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. Surprisingly, no points deductions or fines were issued for the incident. 23XI Racing announced shortly afterward John Hunter Nemechek will fill in for Wallace in the No. 45 Toyota.

NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell appeared on SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio to further explain the penalty. I thought the key lines for him came right at the start of his talk with host Dave Moody.

“Our actions are really specific to what took place on the racetrack,” O’Donnell said. “And when we look at how that incident occurred, you know, in our minds, really a dangerous act … in this case, we just felt it crossed the line, and we really had to react, because it’s an action that we don’t want to see going forward.”

In this case. It’s a moment in which a new precedent was set, for better or for worse, because Wallace’s actions backed NASCAR into a corner.

Here’s three important reasons why.

1. It failed the eye test.

Let’s take a look at the Wallace wreck again. What I want you to rewatch is how intentionally it appears Wallace turned hard left, hooking Larson right into the outside wall at speed once Larson’s No. 5 pushed Wallace’s No. 45 into the wall first. Whatever way you slice it, it’s a bad look for the sport.

Bubba Wallace has been suspended by #NASCAR for intentionally wrecking Kyle Larson under green.

Here’s another look at the incident. pic.twitter.com/ap7tiTa0Tr

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 18, 2022

The cameras were focused directly on Wallace’s move, both in the moment and subsequent replays. It’s followed up by Wallace exiting his car, walking over to Larson, yelling and then shoving him in an act of physical retaliation.

Let’s stop here to note NASCAR has suspended Cup drivers for on-track incidents toward another driver four other times since 2000: Kevin Harvick (2002, based on an incident in a Camping World Truck Series race), Jimmy Spencer (2003), Kyle Busch (2011, also based on a Truck Series crash) and Matt Kenseth (2015). There are two running themes in all these suspensions: the brazenness of the contact, regardless of whether the driver admitted it, combined with buildup…