Tempers and late-race chaos are nothing new in NASCAR. Just ask Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. Their infamous clash at Martinsville in 2019 turned pit road into a boxing ring after contact on Lap 458 ruined Logano’s day. But not every wreck ends in fists or even finger-pointing. Sometimes, things aren’t what they seem, and drivers, surprisingly, admit their mistakes.

At Darlington this weekend, a late-lap caution stirred up a wave of controversy. While the two drivers involved didn’t come to blows afterward, fans rushed to place blame, with Bubba Wallace catching heat for what looked like a reckless move. But as replays and data emerged, the story took a twist. In a sport where adrenaline runs high and milliseconds matter, the truth often hides in the details. And this time, it changed everything.

Kyle Larson admits costly misjudgment at Darlington

In the final laps of the Goodyear 400 at Darlington, Ryan Blaney looked poised for victory. He had just cleared Tyler Reddick in Turn 2, with Reddick scraping the wall. Blaney’s No. 12 Ford pulled ahead cleanly. Behind him, chaos brewed. With four laps to go, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson spun out (again) while down 167 laps and set off a controversial overtime finish. Coincidentally, Kyle Larson had crashed on lap four at the same spot!

The spin brought out a caution that reshuffled everything. Denny Hamlin, running third at the time, leapfrogged into the lead after an incredible pit stop and never looked back. The incident robbed Blaney of his first Darlington win. But the focus quickly shifted to another name. Bubba Wallace.

Bubba Wallace slammed his No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE into Kyle Larson’s car from behind. Many fans blamed him for wrecking Larson on purpose. But the evidence painted a different picture. Kyle Larson had slowed down more than expected at exactly the wrong time. Bubba couldn’t react in time, which resulted in the collision. But this wasn’t a hit job. It was an unexpected check-up gone wrong in the final stretch of a chaotic race.

Jeff Gluck also confirmed this with Larson’s crew chief, Cliff Daniels, after the race. Gluck wrote on X, “Cliff Daniels said Kyle [Larson] told him he felt bad about being part of the last caution. They were trying to stay out of the way of the leaders and stay low, and Larson checked up early to make sure he didn’t get into Reddick, but Bubba didn’t know Larson was going to slow down that much.”

The data backed this up, too. Auto Racing Analytics further clarified that the braking zone where Larson slowed was not typical for that section of the track, especially not on the lap prior. “Data shows that Larson hit the brakes right before contact with Wallace. The previous lap Larson didn’t use brake there,” they posted on X.

The data visual told a clear story: this wasn’t reckless driving or a retaliatory move by Wallace. It was simply a case of unpredictable race dynamics unfolding in split seconds. Kyle Larson was only trying to avoid Reddick, but it unintentionally caused the chaos that followed. In a sport where tempers flare and narratives form fast, it’s easy to misplace blame. But this time, it was clear that Bubba Wallace was innocent. And Kyle Larson? A victim of human error.

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Wallace and Larson eyeing Bristol redemption after Darlington setbacks

Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson had challenging outings at the 2025 Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. Wallace secured a 21st-place finish, completing all 297 laps, while Larson’s race was cut short because of one early spin and one late one, resulting in a 37th-place finish with a DNF. Despite these setbacks, both drivers remain in contention within the NASCAR Cup Series standings.

Kyle Larson has already secured his playoff spot by winning the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami. However, if we look at the drivers’ standings, then Larson has slipped four places from Miami and currently sits in 6th place with 244 points. He is 71 points behind the leader and Hendrick Motorsports teammate, William Byron. Bubba Wallace, on the other hand, has yet to secure a win in the 2025 season. However, he is still very much in contention for a playoff spot. He is currently in 8th place in the drivers’ standings with 233 points and has his eyes on breaking a 2-year-long winless streak to enter the playoffs for the first time since 2023.

Looking ahead, the NASCAR Cup Series moves to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 500 on April 13, 2025. Bristol’s high-banked, half-mile oval presents a unique challenge, often leading to close-quarters racing and potential for incidents. Both Wallace and Larson will aim to leverage this opportunity to improve their standings and solidify their playoff positions.

Larson has demonstrated convincing performances at Bristol and will be attempting the weekend sweep next week, competing in Truck, Xfinity, and Cup races. Larson has two wins at the track and won dominantly last September, leading 462 laps while sweeping both stages. Bubba Wallace, meanwhile, has a tame record at Bristol with just one top-5 finish. However, that came in the same race Larson recently won, and adding that to Bubba’s improving form with two top-3 finishes in his last three races should be a huge confidence booster despite the Darlington setback.

With Larson going for the sweep and Bubba eyeing redemption, who do you think will come out on top next week? Let us know in the comments!