Bubba Wallace has been in his fair share of confrontations over the years, including in the 2022 season during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In fact, that was the most notable driver-to-driver confrontation of the season.
While exiting Turn 4, Larson went up the track and put Wallace into the wall. Then, the 23XI Racing driver hooked the No. 5 car across a hot front stretch and collected Toyota teammate Christopher Bell. All three drivers saw their days end but it didn’t stop there.
Wallace walked up to Larson in the infield and started to aggressively push him. Larson didn’t really retaliate and it was broken up. He ended up with a one-race suspension for his on-track actions; however, he can relate to the off-track incident much like other drivers this season.
Related: Bubba Wallace discusses last-lap blocks that caused big wreck at Talladega
Bubba Wallace believes NASCAR should change this rule to help drivers show displeasure
Noah Gragson and Ross Chastain found themselves fighting on pit road after the No. 1 car put the Legacy Motor Club driver into the wall. Well, it’s not really in the same way as Larson and Gragson.
Chastain gave Gragson room but it was a very small margin for error. The No. 42 car hit the wall and eventually spun out due to a flat tire. After the race, Gragson went up to the Trackhouse Racing driver and shoved him. Chastain threw a punch and security stepped into the fight.
It has been a controversial debate over the last week-and-a-half with many drivers taking sides. Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch “seriously urged” NASCAR to go with hockey rules when fights take place.
Circling back to Wallace, it is definitely notable to hear his opinion on the subject as he has been involved in a fight within the last year. What did Wallace have to say about the fights in NASCAR and what should happen moving forward?
“(Noah Gragson) was ready to throw a punch and it got blocked, so I guess he lost that fight. I feel like you should be able to display your displeasure and treat it like hockey, I guess. Let them go until they fall…It’s passion, right? It’s showing your frustration and it’s alright. People need to be put in their place sometimes.”
Bubba Wallace on whether NASCAR should allow prolonged fighting
Wallace feels the same way as Busch and it is hard to blame them. If a driver gets one punch on you and security breaks it up before you can retaliate, that doesn’t seem very fair since you aren’t the one who started throwing punches.
This is why the two drivers and many others want to see a change in the security rules. NASCAR has seen fights many times with one of the most famous modern tussles coming at Texas Motor Speedway between Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski in 2014 when the security wasn’t really effective.
Is this the right idea when it comes to fights in NASCAR or would it be a negative for everyone? Continue reading to read the pros and cons of NASCAR letting drivers fight and if it would be smart to let them duel!
Related: 23XI Racing responds to Bubba Wallace’s comments of needing to be replaced
Evaluating if NASCAR should make the rule change suggested by Bubba Wallace
NASCAR has seen many fights over the years but the topic of conversation has changed to whether the sport should let drivers tussle it out like the NHL. Well, it is a complicated debate that has great points for each side.
It would be positive to let the drivers fight because it would increase attention for NASCAR and likely drive up the sport’s popularity a little bit. However, is the potential outcome for the drivers worth it to the race teams?
NASCAR teams employ one full-time driver if they want to win the driver’s championship and it represents their best option toward the owner’s championship. If a driver were to get hurt during a fight, it would significantly change the championship picture.
There can be replacement players in hockey that help lead the team toward the overall championship but it would simply take them out of the driver’s championship for the time being while they would be out of the car.
On one hand, it also makes sense for both drivers to get a shot at fighting. Chastain threw a punch at Gragson but the Legacy Motor Club driver wasn’t allowed to get one back. It’s not fair for the other person who gets punched because why should they not get an opportunity?
There should be a meeting point between the two sides. It may not be smart to let drivers pound on each other for 30 seconds; however, the idea of letting both sides get at least one punch in seems like a compromise.
NASCAR shouldn’t break up fights when one driver already has thrown a punch. Once both drivers attempt it, then break it up and keep the drivers and others out of harm’s way. That seems like the best option overall instead of Bubba Wallace and Kyle Busch’s suggestion.
The last thing NASCAR and its organizations need is drivers getting hurt because of a fight that could’ve been prevented after the first couple of punches. Hopefully, NASCAR doesn’t go to an extreme on either side and meets somewhere in the middle if something changes.
In the meantime, whether you are watching it live or looking for how to watch NASCAR on TV or another streaming platform, Sportsnaut has you covered for the upcoming weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway!
Check Out: How to watch the NASCAR All-Star Race