NASCAR is a cruel sport. A driver can run well through most of the race, but one unfortunate incident can ruin everything. It may be heartbreaking, but that is just the nature of motorsports in general. Michael Jordan, or rather, his protégé, experienced that firsthand at Charlotte on Sunday. After having a great run throughout the race, Jordan’s star was dealt a tough blow and his playoff hopes came to an end. The worst part is that NASCAR themselves had a big role to play in his elimination.
Bubba Wallace went into the final round of 12 race of the 2023 Cup Series nine points behind the cutline. The 23XI Racing driver started the race in P4, which gave him a good chance to earn enough points to qualify. Near the end of the final stage, it seemed like Wallace had done just enough to make it through to the next round, but it was not meant to be.
NASCAR insiders slam rule that ruined Michael Jordan’s day
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Bubba Wallace was caught up in a scuffle between two non-playoff drivers with just 22 laps to go. Daniel Suarez made contact with Austin Cindric, who lost control of his car and hooked it into the no. 23 of Bubba Wallace. Wallace lost a lot of places because of that and was forced to cut a corner. As a result, NASCAR handed him a stop-and-go penalty, which completely ruined any chance of him making it through to the next round.
NASCAR’s decision was condemned by fans everywhere. Bubba Wallace may not be the most likable man on the grid, but everyone could see the effort he was putting forth to make it into the playoffs. On a recent episode of Dirty Mo Media’s Dirty Air, insiders Andrew Kurland, Dalton Greco, and Travis Rockhold also criticized the decision.
“It’s not like he benefitted from cutting through the corner after he got spun out. I mean, at that point, he already lost a ton of spots. Now, on the flip side, what could make a difference is he lost say 10 spots by spinning and then kept going. What if that was all the difference in the playoffs, but the rule is he has to do a stop-and-go by technicality,” Andrew Kurland said.
Travis Rockhall replied with something that has been on NASCAR fans’ minds since seeing what happened with Bubba Wallace. “Yeah, that’s what we’re saying. The rule is dumb, it needs to go away.”
Bubba Wallace was beyond frustrated after the race. He slammed NASCAR after the race due to the stop-and-go penalty rule. His frustrations could be deemed valid since the driver of #23 did not gain any advantage for cutting the corner. If anything, he lost places due to the crash that forced him off the track.
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Outspoken Cup driver unleashes a tirade against NASCAR’s “BS”
The 23XI Racing star did not hold back against one bit in his post-race interview. Bubba Wallace called the stop-and-go penalty a “BS rule” and slammed NASCAR.
“It’s such a B.S. rule. I lost so much track position and I didn’t completely come to a stop, but I got blown through a chicane, so I thought I’d just keep my momentum up and get back going, fall back in line, and you can race it out from there. But we had to stop on the frontstretch, and we’re the only series that does that a** backwards, so not surprised,” Bubba Wallace said in the post-race interview.
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Since the incident, there has been dissension among NASCAR fans. Bubba Wallace had no other choice, according to his supporters, and he didn’t even advance in terms of track position. Others contend that rules must be followed regardless of the driver or the situation. What are your thoughts on the matter?
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