NASCAR’s Grant Park 165 in Chicago took a dramatic turn when Bubba Wallace intentionally collided with Alex Bowman during the cool-down lap. NASCAR is one of the most aggressive motorsports out there and it is common to have incidents while racing. However, sometimes these incidents get the drivers penalized for both cash fines and racing disadvantages. Along with Wallace and Bowman’s recent contact, there have been more intense collisions between cars, namely, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr.

The NASCAR season has witnessed its fair share of contentious moments, but the collision between Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman at the Grant Park 165 in Chicago has reignited discussions about the sport’s rules and the consequences for breaking them. Wallace’s deliberate hit to Bowman on the cool-down lap drew immediate attention from everyone, drawing parallels to previous incidents involving high-profile drivers like Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin. While Truex Jr was not fined for the incident, in the past Carson Hocevar had to pay dues for his incident in Nashville, that being said, the question stands: does this mean a fine for Bubba Wallace?

Will Bubba Wallace get a fine for hitting Alex Bowman in Chicago?

After winning the 2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race, Alex Bowman addressed a controversy involving Bubba Wallace, who had retaliated after an earlier incident in the race. Bowman started his post-race interview by apologizing again to Wallace and his team for an incident on the 25th lap where he had clipped Wallace’s car, causing it to spin and hit the wall. Despite this incident, Bowman managed finally win a race after not being the winner in 80 races.

Following his win, during the cooldown lap, Wallace approached Bowman’s car and made contact with it. Despite getting ‘door slammed’ by Wallace, Bowman defended the other driver, stating that they didn’t believe the other driver should be penalized for the incident. The winner acknowledged their mistake during the race, mentioning that they had already apologized to the other driver during a rain delay.

Reflecting on the victory, Bowman went on to state that he does not believe that a penalty is required from Wallace as he understands why that was done. He then explained the emotional journey they had faced, including injuries and doubts about winning again since their last victory in 2022. Not only did the win break the team’s dry streak of 80 races, but, Bowman also received a place in the playoffs for this season.

Although the race winner has no beef against Wallace, and said that he believes there is no fine needed, other drivers have not been that lucky. On one hand, Truex Jr was not fine for his incident with Hamlin, but Hocevar was not that lucky.

The different rulings for Martin Truex Jr and Carson Hocevar

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In the world of NASCAR, rulings and penalties can vary based on the circumstances and the drivers involved, as evidenced by the recent incidents involving Martin Truex Jr. and Carson Hocevar. After a dramatic finish at Richmond, Martin Truex Jr. found himself frustrated and emotional, not because of a penalty but due to the heartbreak of losing a race he felt he deserved to win. Denny Hamlin, who ultimately won the race, acknowledged Truex’s frustration and justified his reaction. Hamlin even reached out to Truex to discuss the incident, recognizing that he had been in a prime position to win before a late caution and subsequent pit stop issues derailed his efforts.

In contrast to that, Carson Hocevar faced a substantial penalty for his actions during a race at Nashville Superspeedway. Unlike Truex’s situation, which was marred by unfortunate race circumstances, Hocevar’s penalty stemmed from deliberate on-track behavior. NASCAR fined Hocevar $50,000 and docked him 25 points for wrecking Harrison Burton under caution. This is not the first time that Hocevar has been penalized for such contact, causing the officials to consider him a repeat offender of the rules.

The difference in how NASCAR handled these two situations comes from the details of how the incidents took place. Many would come forth to say that this is an unfair ruling, however, that is how the rules of the sport have been for a while, and it’s how they will continue. Truex’s incident at Richmond was seen as part of the competitive nature of racing, where emotions can run high after a race slips away due to factors beyond a driver’s control. On the other hand, Hocevar’s deliberate wrecking of Burton under caution was treated with a firm hand. NASCAR has a zero-tolerance policy for intentional wrecking, especially under conditions meant to ensure driver safety and that was violated by Hocevar.

Do you think that NASCAR made fair decisions when it came to these incidents? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.