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FONTANA, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 26: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 Wheaties Toyota, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway on February 26, 2022 in Fontana, California. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
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FONTANA, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 26: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 Wheaties Toyota, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway on February 26, 2022 in Fontana, California. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Bubba Wallace has been a fairly divisive figure in the NASCAR community. Many have been quite critical of him and believe that he is a little ‘overhyped’. Last year, he snatched victory on home soil at the Talladega Superspeedway as his first career win.
One would think, that win shut up his critics for good. However, the circumstances in which he won the race, only added jet fuel to the fire. This was because rain interrupted the race and the results were declared with Wallace winning.
Who wants to tell this guy that Brandon Brown won in a race that was cut short because of darkness after a wreck brought out the caution? (I'm not being critical of either win, just stating facts). https://t.co/BAMqVFCpaw
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 21, 2022
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Ahead of this weekend’s race, back at Talladega, the 23XI Racing driver is keen to win once again. However, one fan brought up the example of Brandon Brown, who he felt was a deserving first-time winner.
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According to him, Brown crossed the finish line after completing the entire race. On the other hand, Bubba Wallace, ‘cowardly hoped for rain’, and his win was ‘un-sportsman like’
How did the NASCAR journalist defend Bubba Wallace?
Interestingly enough, Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass burst that bubble pretty thoroughly. He pointed out that Brown won a shortened race, due to fading light. Apparently, there were a few too many wrecks and cautions, that stretched out the race.
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Of course, he insisted that he was not criticizing either win, but was merely stating facts. Even Brandon Brown jumped in to defend Bubba Wallace and declared that a win is a win.
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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – AUGUST 14: Brandon Brown, driver of the #68 BMS Chevrolet Chevrolet, waits in the garage area during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 14, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Other fans also pointed out that Bubba Wallace made the race-winning pass under the green flag. According to them, if people protested the legitimacy of Wallace’s shortened win, then all similar wins were the same. This includes Justin Haley’s 2019 Coke Zero Sugar win and Aric Almirola’s 2014 Coke Zero Sugar win. Jeff Gordon also took five shortened wins, while Darrell Waltrip had four to his name.
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Even the late great Dale Earnhardt took his only Daytona 500 win under a caution.
