Did Bubba Wallace’s Post-Race Bump Warrant a $50,000 Fine?

Alex Bowman finally broke an 80-race winless streak following his win in the Grant Park 165 on the Chicago street course. It wasn’t without controversy, however. Bowman made contact with Bubba Wallace on lap 25, sending the No. 23 broadside and largely out of contention, which wasn’t the first time the two have had contact at a road course before.

While Bowman tried to apologize and took full responsibility for the incident, it didn’t do much to assuage Wallace, who was battling with Bowman for one of the final playoff positions. Wallace slammed into the side of Bowman on the cool down lap, and was fined $50,000 by NASCAR for his actions. While NASCAR has taken action against Wallace and Carson Hocevar the week prior, it did not address Chase Elliott who had a similar dust up with Daniel Suarez on the cool-down lap.

Given the disparity between Hocevar right-hooking Harrison Burton at Nashville and the no call on Elliott, did Wallace’s actions warrant a fifty-grand fine? This week, Andrew Stoddard and Joy Tomlinson weigh out the circumstance in 2-Headed Monster.

Wallace’s Penalty Does Not Fit the Crime

NASCAR’s decision to penalize Bubba Wallace represents a departure from how the governing body normally handles post-race altercations.

In the past, NASCAR has laid down the law for contact between drivers on pit road after the race. On the other hand, they have let similar incidents on the cooldown lap go without penalty. To illustrate this precedent, let’s talk through a few examples.

First, let’s go back in time to the 2014 Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This race was so full of post-race fireworks that there is a decent chance you don’t remember who won (it was Kevin Harvick, by the way).

The drama after the checkered flag included Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin going at it on the cool-down lap, followed by Keselowski driving into both Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart on pit road. Stewart responded in kind by shifting his No. 14 Chevrolet into reverse and smashing the front of Keselowski’s No. 2 Ford, while Kenseth got into a physical altercation with Keselowski in the infield.

A few days later, NASCAR assessed fines to Keselowski and Stewart of $50,000 and $25,000, respectively, while Hamlin and Kenseth escaped without penalty. What was the difference? Hamlin’s extracurricular activity occurred during the cool-down lap, while Kenseth’s occurred outside the cockpit.

Fast…