6 Shoves and a Major Beef: Revisit Bubba Wallace & Kyle Larson’s 2022 Vegas Brawl

Anyone who follows NASCAR knows that Bubba Wallace is no stranger to controversy. The 23XI Racing driver is outspoken and aggressive, to say the least. He is unapologetic and can end up getting under people’s skin. That is something he has in common with his boss, Denny Hamlin. But not even Denny stood for what his driver did last year in the Las Vegas playoff race.

The scenes from the incident are etched into everyone’s memory, as it was one of the most controversial moments on track in NASCAR history.

What happened between Bubba Wallace & Kyle Larson in Vegas apparently did not stay in Vegas

Bubba Wallace is a changed man in 2023. He has managed to keep his aggressive side in check and has matured as a racer as well. The 23XI Racing man might have been eliminated in the round of 12, but his maiden playoff run was decent. Going into the Las Vegas on Sunday, Bubba Wallace has only one goal: win. However, he must remember to not let history repeat itself.

As you’d remember, last year, Bubba Wallace was involved in an intense on-track battle with Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick for P5 in stage 2. As the three ran wide, Harvick sensed the danger and bailed. This left Bubba and Larson battling for the spot. The Hendrick Motorsports man made an aggressive move, pushing his rival toward the wall.

There was nowhere Bubba Wallace could have gone, so he bumped into the wall hard. This infuriated the 23XI driver, who followed Larson to the inside and deliberately hooked his car into the #5. This ended both of their races and the two had a physical altercation on the in-field. Wallace was seen pushing Larson five times, with only one push coming from Larson, as the HMS man kept his calm and stepped back.

“He knows what he did was wrong. He wanted to question what I was doing, he never cleared me,” Wallace had said at the time.

Kyle Larson admitted his fault in pushing his rival into the wall and expected Bubba Wallace to exact revenge. But perhaps the HMS man did not see Michael Jordan’s star going as far as he did.

“I obviously made an aggressive move into [Turn 3], got in low and loose, and chased it up a bit and he got to my right front and it got him tight and into the wall. Knew he was going to retaliate, so like I said, he had a reason to be mad. But his race wasn’t over until he retaliated,” the #5 driver said.

Obviously, things between the two have cooled down ever since that incident. Bubba Wallace was suspended for one week under NASCAR’s behavioral policy. The driver of the 23XI Racing team issued an apology to his HMS counterpart. He confessed on an episode of the NASCAR Live podcast that he had overstepped his boundaries.

2023 has been a learning curve for Bubba Wallace, but he has been knocked out of the playoffs. His rival Kyle Larson, on the other hand, has already won a championship and is still a Cup Series favorite.

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As arch-rival gets eliminated, Kyle Larson wins a championship before Phoenix

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Kyle Larson’s racing interests are not just limited to NASCAR. The 2021 Cup Series champion is intrigued by almost all forms of racing. He will be taking part in the IndyCar race at Indianapolis next year with Arrow McLaren. But that is still a long way to go.

Recently, Kyle Larson launched his own racing series called High Limits Racing. It involves sprint cars, dirt tracks, and a ton of excitement. The HMS driver added yet another feather to his cap when he won the championship title despite losing to Rico Abreu in the finale at Lincoln Park Speedway.

His focus will now be on becoming a two-time Cup Series champion. Will the HMS star go the distance this season, or will the round of 8 be the end? Let us know your thoughts.

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