While Summer Shootouts laid the foundation for Bubba Wallace‘s racing career, his five-year break might have been far too long. He returned to the Legend car series this June to run all ten races of the season. But his first two weeks posed a challenge he is struggling to shrug off.

Denny Hamlin’s prodigious 23XI Racing driver, Bubba Wallace, has had two victories across his Cup Series career since 2021. He got a close second this year at North Wilkesboro but failed to clinch a victory lane run. His return to Legend Cars could be an attempt to have some fun and polish his craft with some versatility. But he might have gotten dumped in the very first week of his return.

Why did Bubba Wallace get run over during his week 2 of legend run?

A lot of times, when cars bump into each other on raceways, it’s not their fault. Cars get pushed around to gain positions, and that ends up in a bunch of messed-up cars behind. This is what Bubba Wallace witnessed in the two weeks of the Cook Out Summer Shootout this year. He wanted to be reminded of the fun times he had in the showcase races, but he got nicked by a young driver.

When Wallace confronted the driver after two successive crashes with the same #98 car, he got the response, “That’s how the race is. That’s how everyone passes here.” An already infuriated Bubba Wallace lashed out to the #98 on his Vlog, saying, “I don’t give a f**k. I know how they do it. And if you wanna learn how to pass it’s gotta start right now.” The right hook he received from the #98 car on the straightway popped the tire of Wallace’s car, leaving him in the 12th towards the race’s end.

The rookie driver in the altercation then snapped at the 30-year-old driver, “I don’t have anything to be nervous about. I’m faster than you. And there’s a reason why I’m faster than you.” Wallace came out of the room, brimming with frustration. He just couldn’t wrap his head around why drivers would start crashing into each other from the onset. And the boastful attitude of the young driver added to his fury.

Bubba Wallace went on to narrate the conversation to his team and got educated on the facts. “What he told you is exactly what they do. He wasn’t lying. That’s crazy man,” said a team member. He was astonished at how much racing has changed back at home. “If you just qualify top 8, you can get out of that BS,” another member added.

This gave Wallace some clarity on how the races need to be dealt with going into the third week. He pointed to the car in the garage, saying, “That big P sign stands for Pro division, but that also stands for self-policing.” Trying to console the upset driver, a team member exclaimed, “I say just put it in the damn fence and be done with it.” When the format is such that you either run down or get ‘runneth’ over, then the former is an obvious choice.

And Wallace needs to find the nerve to keep fighting to keep his spot in Playoff as well.

Will Bubba Wallace be able to fetch a win to secure the home run?

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With just three races remaining in the regular season of the Cup, there is a lot of pressure on Bubba Wallace. He has marginally made the cut for the NASCAR Playoffs with just a few points, and the fight for the 16th spot is still on. But a race win will be a sure shot deal, so that has to be the logical aim.

The tradeoff between stage points and a victory lane is the final chase that can get Wallace to the goal. It’s going to be a strategic call for the #23 team. Despite his attempts to avoid a fight, he needs to fight hard for the position and he needs to put up a fight now.

Whether the Charlotte Motor Speedway races go as planned or not, the stakes are too high at Michigan Raceway this weekend. Can Bubba Wallace secure his Playoff spot?