Last year, 23XI Racing‘s Bubba Wallace captured the attention with an infamous feud with Kyle Larson. The incident occurred in Las Vegas after the 2 drivers engaged themselves in a duel, bumping each other until Michael Jordan’s driver took matters into his own hands post race.

Wallace confronted the HMS star trackside where he furiously shoved Larson, getting himself a suspension. Fast Forward to the Bristol race this past weekend, the scene was almost reminiscent of last year’s duel. While the Alabama native made the Cup Series playoffs for the first time in his career, the stint between the #23 Toyota and the #5 HMS Chevy caught the eyes of the community.

With the brief contact making its rounds in NASCAR nation, Wallace‘s spotter addressed the issue on the popular DBC podcast. Speaking on the podcast, Freddie Kraft details the “shoving match” that ensued in Bristol.

23XI Racing spotter details the Bubba Wallace-Kyle Larson fiasco in Bristol

Tensions flared high at the Bristol Motor Speedway when Bubba Wallace and his bitter HMS rival got into another shoving match. The 500-lap action at the half-a-mile track was unfolding at such a pace that nobody could anticipate what was going to happen next.

Reigning Cup Series champion, Joey Logano was the first to exit when his #22 Ford suffered major rear suspension damage at the beginning of Stage 3. With the exit of such a significant playoff contender, the race was now anybody’s game and the pack became even more fierce. While the controversialist JGR veteran, Denny Hamlin took the throne, wielding the sword, a late-minute stint between his driver Wallace and Larson also became the highlight of the race.

Larson went for the kill in the closing laps, making major strides to catch the race-leading #11 car of Hamlin. In the process, Larson and Wallace crossed paths once again. At one point, Larson even bumped the #23 into the wall, initiating a little shoving match. But Wallace, who was well aware of his chances, did not resort to violence as he quickly withdrew from the tussle, and instead got explicit on the radio. Following the race, his spotter, Freddie Kraft, detailed the brief contact concisely.

He credited his driver for staying for remaining calm, saying, “Bubba (Wallace) did a good job of staying patient, there was one time where we had a, we got into a little bit of a shoving match with Kyle Larson and I’m like, ‘just let him go, he does not matter to us you know’.”

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Wallace’s emotional post-race interview and MJ’s celebration

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From being all torn up, and disappointed in himself, to getting into the round of 12, Bubba Wallace’s 2023 season is turning out to be an emotional rollercoaster. The 29-year-old adopted a smooth yet brilliant strategy. Instead of going for wins while taking risks, Wallace decided to pick up valuable stage points to point his way into the playoff 16.

However, making the playoffs for the first time in his career, pressure was slowly building on the driver. He started the playoff opener in Darlington with a decent 7th-place finish, but an awful wreck ended his day at Kansas, where he finished 32nd.

But fate had other plans when Logano wrecked out in Stage 3, giving Wallace a chance. The #23 driver ended the day with a 14th-spot finish, heading into the next round. The post-race interview saw emotions on the driver’s face as he quoted Tennis star, Coco Gauff, “God, I love that sh*t right there, counted us out like Coco Gauff said, all they’re doing is adding fuel to the fire, I love it.” 

A few feet away from the track, his boss, the great Michael Jordan, rejoiced with his team in the pit stand seeing both his drivers advancing into the next round.

READ MORE: “Tell Em To Bring Me My Money” – Bubba Wallace on Massive Feat With Michael Jordan’s Team