via Getty
TALLADEGA, ALABAMA – OCTOBER 01: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #45 Leidos Toyota, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 01, 2022 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
via Getty
TALLADEGA, ALABAMA – OCTOBER 01: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #45 Leidos Toyota, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 01, 2022 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
The NASCAR Cup race weekend at the Talladega Superspeedway has officially wrapped up. At the end of the race, Chase Elliott emerged victorious, becoming the first Playoff driver to win a race this season. On the other end of the scale, Bubba Wallace endured a rough day in the office on home soil.
"Just fucking slow. Get me out" Bubba Wallace says to Freddie Kraft.
Denny Hamlin is behind Wallace and has been wearing out the bumper.#NASCAR
— Dustin Albino (@DustinAlbino) October 2, 2022
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In fact, he ranted on the radio to spotter Freddie Kraft, “Just f**king slow! Get me out!”. To further emphasize this, team owner Denny Hamlin was right on his rear bumper, hounding him. In the end, Wallace could only muster 16th place, which was a little disappointing for him. The race finish earned him around 21 points to add to the #45 car’s championship aspirations.
READ MORE: Bubba Wallace’s Spotter Freddie Kraft Mocks “Idiot” NASCAR Fans Caught Out by Daytona Hoax
Can Bubba Wallace bounce back from this?
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Admittedly, he is definitely capable of doing so, as he has shown great pace on multiple occasions. In fact, his last win came at the Kansas Speedway, which he managed to win in an emphatic fashion. Considering that there are still a few races left in the season, he will be aiming to improve his performance and be consistent.
It is worth mentioning though, that he had a rough start to the day, with a pre-race penalty. Already, he was starting in 27th place but got sent to the rear owing to an engine change. Teammate Ty Gibbs and future teammate Tyler Reddick also got penalized and sent to the back of the grid. However, since they both qualified in the Top 10, they started ahead of Wallace.
USA Today via Reuters
Sep 16, 2022; Bristol, Tennessee, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (45) during qualifying for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Considering that Gibbs crashed out early in the race, and Reddick only finished in 28th, Wallace was a bit relieved. Especially considering that clawing his way up from 37th on the grid to finish in 16th is an incredible achievement. At the end of the day, Bubba Wallace can do nothing more than think about what could have been, and move on to the next race.
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