“If We Took That to Court, I Think I Would Win”: Amid Denny Hamlin Fiasco, Bubba Wallace Recalls a NASCAR Incident From 2019

It is not daily that an employee gets to speak openly about their boss’s wrong-doings. However, Bubba Wallace is one lucky fellow in this regard. NASCAR deemed 23XI Racing owner Denny Hamlin guilty of wrecking Ross Chastain at Phoenix Raceway, imposing a $50,000 fine and docking 25 driver points. While a lot has been discussed around this incident, Wallace added more flavor to it by referring to an incident in the past.

Neither Wallace nor Hamlin is alien to controversies. However, the former got nostalgic while discussing the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s current situation. He couldn’t help but compare it to his own controversy from 2019.

Bubba Wallace takes a walk down memory lane amid boss Denny Hamlin’s $50,000 fiasco

The National Motorsports Appeal Panel recently upheld Hamlin’s penalty concerning the Phoenix incident. Interestingly, in his defense, the 42-year-old claimed how NASCAR did not believe it to be a penalizing incident following his candid comments on the Actions Detrimental podcast.

The question here is why did NASCAR wait until Hamlin’s admission on the podcast? Recently at the Bristol Motor Speedway, Wallace was asked if it made a difference in what happens on the track and what drivers speak off it. To this, the 29-year-old had an interesting answer.

Referring to his 2019 incident at Texas Motor Speedway, Wallace said, “I think if you go back to my penalty at Texas a couple of years ago, I think I questioned what NASCAR would do. I don’t think I ever said that I did it, so if we took that to court, I think I would win that. But that’s not how it works.”

So what really happened in Texas? Apparently, Wallace, then driving for Richard Petty Motorsports, was accused of intentionally spinning his car because of a flat tire. Furthermore, the resulting caution altered the outcome for several drivers, making many of them including Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch unhappy.

READ MORE – “Manipulated the Finish” – After Shocking Penalty Verdict, Denny Hamlin Relies on the “Intent” Defense While Disclosing NASCAR’s Official Charges Against Him

But then, how come NASCAR knew it was intentional? What did Wallace say to convince them?

NASCAR penalizes Bubba Wallace for his intentional spin at Texas Motor Speedway

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The sanctioning body fined Wallace 50 points and $50,000 for his actions in Texas. The ruling came after he made some controversial comments after the race.

Speaking about his spin, he told the media, “I learned from Brad [Keselowski] and Joey [Logano].”

When asked if he was worried about the consequences, Wallace said, “Until they do anything, no. I’m not the only one to do it. I’m racing for myself. Not for [Kyle] Larson. Not for Chevrolet at that moment. For myself and going multiple laps down.”

WATCH THIS STORY: “No Clue How That Is a Penalty” – Kyle Busch Exposes NASCAR’s “Contradictory” Side After Being Left in Disbelief of Denny Hamlin’s Controversial Verdict

Eventually, NASCAR considered these statements as an admission of intent and punished the Alabama native. It is funny how both Wallace and Hamlin were penalized in a similar fashion. What message does this send after all? Is mum’s-the-word the only option?