That’s what racing does to you, it gets your emotions so high that you may end up acting out: that’s what NASCAR says of the spat between rivals Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman at the end of the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.
As if racing isn’t dramatic enough, Wallace delivered an extra dose of drama when he doused his rival in water. Somehow adding insult to injury, he did it while Bowman was sitting on the tarmac, receiving medical attention for dehydration.
If Bubba was going for irony, he struck gold.
Tensions flared on the first lap, when Bowman intentionally bumped Wallace. Wallace became so enraged that, for the next few laps, he kept giving Bowman the finger, an insult that eventually made him lose his cool completely. So, on lap 42, Bowman hit Wallace once more, this time with enough force to send him spinning into an outside wall.
At the end of the race, Wallace was still seething, so he walked up to Bowman and threw his drink on his face. Reports online say that he also called him a “b***h” and an “a**hole” before walking off. He tells NASCAR Bowman played the “sick card” so “I couldn’t bust him in his mouth,” and argues that Bowman doesn’t “like to race” so he tries to eliminate his rivals in other ways, by pushing them off the course.
Bowman’s version of events is that the first bump was an accident, but the second one was intentional – his way of defending himself.
“I don’t know if he was mad about the first lap or what but obviously, that was just a mistake,” Bowman explained after the race. “Then I got flipped over for every single straightaway for three laps. I got flipped off by him for three or four laps in Richmond so I was just over it. I gotta stand up for myself at some point, right? Probably wouldn’t have gotten wrecked if he had his finger back in the car.”
To see the drama play out, check out the videos at the bottom of the page. NASCAR chief racing development officer Steve O’Donnell says he will be sitting down for a “conversation” with Wallace over what happened.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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