One after the other penalties for NASCAR drivers. Just when Dale Earnhardt Jr claimed these actions as what kept the sport alive, NASCAR was fast enough to react.

This isn’t the first time Bubba Wallace has clashed with Alex Bowman. Back in 2019, Wallace splashed water on Bowman from a bottle after Bowman had spun him out during the Charlotte ROVAL race. Then, just a few weeks later in Texas, Wallace made headlines again when he admitted to intentionally spinning his car after losing a tire. That incident led to NASCAR hitting him with a $50,000 fine and a 50-point deduction for deliberately wrecking the competition.

And, once again Bubba Wallace is fined $50,000 for ramming his No. 23 Toyota Camaro into Alex Bowman’s No. 48 Chevy. Thankfully no point deduction this time, knowing that NASCAR officials recently issued a similar penalty along with 25 25-point deduction to Carson Hocevar, who deliberately took out Harrison Burton during the race at the Nashville Superspeedway.

However, the saving grace for Wallace is the fact that he wasn’t reprimanded with a points penalty this time, as it could’ve been detrimental to his hopes of making it to the playoffs. However, what’s surprising is that officials chose not to punish Chase Elliott, who was also involved in a similar incident, wrecking Daniel Suarez late in the race.

On the final lap of what transpired as a physical race, Elliott leaned on the bumper of the No. 99 car and took his position. But after the race finished, the HMS star kept fiddling with Suarez as he ran into him during the cool-down laps. Ultimately, the two were seen exchanging words on the pit road.

The Grant Park 165 race was a physical affair for the drivers to deal with. Rain affected NASCAR’s main event, forcing the drivers to race in treacherous conditions on a wet track, unlike the typical ovals. Although there was a lot of beating and banging, Bowman could not find a clean corner exit and clipped Bubba Wallace’s car on Lap 25.

Following the incident, the driver of the #23 car had to head back to the pit road to get his race car back to speed after incurring damage. Although the crew managed to get the race car back to speed, their day was ruined. All Wallace did was try to finish the race; he finished 13th, whereas Bowman snapped his 80-race winless streak.

Wallace’s frustrations weren’t vague considering his position in the points standings. With the HMS driver winning the race, only four playoff spots are now up for grabs. After last Sunday’s race, he is placed 16th, just one spot above the cutline. With new drivers who haven’t won this season, grabbing the win makes the road ahead more challenging for the 23XI Racing star. He will need to bring his A-game in the remaining six races in the regular season.

As far as Alex Bowman is concerned, he was apologetic about the way he crashed Wallace early in the race.

Bowman reflects on his post-race incident with Bubba Wallace

The #48 crew was spot on in making smart decisions regarding the tire strategy. When the race leaders Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs decided to pit to change back to slicks, Bowman and his team decided to stick with the rain tires and their gamble did work in their favor. And it evidently resulted well for him.

After grabbing the lead by Joey Hand and fending off a late charge by Tyler Reddick, the Hendrick Motorsports driver finally had his moment, winning his first race after an 80-race hiatus. It was a monumental victory for the #48 team, as they were the only HMS team left to lock themselves in the playoffs. Although the emotions were running high for the driver, he quickly acknowledged his mistake, foiling a good race for Bubba Wallace and his team.

“Just messed up trying to get my windshield wiper on, missed, and ruined their day. I hate that. I’m still embarrassed about it,” he said, in an interview, after winning the race. Not sure if his apology helped Bubba Wallace’s case, as the officials saw him in a terrible light.

In the aftermath of these, Chase Elliott’s lack of penalty will spark the debate even more. While Wallace’s clash with Alex Bowman reflects ongoing tensions in NASCAR, the latter’s apology post-race highlights the human side of these high-stakes moments in crucial sports like NASCAR.