NASCAR: Alex Bowman defends Bubba Wallace against criticism

Bubba Wallace has faced criticism for chucking his drink at Alex Bowman while Bowman was receiving medical attention after the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval. But even Bowman is standing up for Wallace.

After making contact with the #43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet of Darrell Wallace Jr. early in last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval, Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman watched lap after lap as Wallace flipped him off.

Fed up with Wallace using these gestures not only during this 109-lap race around the 17-turn, 2.28-mile (3.669-kilometer) Charlotte Motor Speedway roval in Concord, North Carolina but during the previous weekend’s race at Richmond Raceway, Bowman sent the #43 Chevrolet into the wall.

Bowman, who was involved in several run-ins throughout the race, went on to drive his tail off and finish in second place to secure a spot in the second round of the four-round, 10-race playoffs. Wallace only rebounded to finish in 24th.

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But in the moments immediately after the race, Bowman needed medical attention.

Coupled with an ailment that he had been dealing with earlier in the week, the heat of the day and the effects of spending three-plus hours driving a car with temperatures of roughly 130 degrees inside was too much for him to handle during these moments.

As a result, he was tended to by the medical staff while he was resting on the ground. But Wallace, still irritated by being spun out, didn’t care. He approached Bowman and chucked his drink on him (and inadvertently a few people around him, including the medical staff) as he was being treated.

Wallace went on to insinuate that Bowman wasn’t even sick, stating that he was only “playing the sick card”.

Wallace’s actions and words off the track have caused tons of criticism to be directed his way. But even Bowman, who stated that Wallace said “nothing classy” before chucking his drink on him, has now defended Wallace against this criticism.

Here is what he had to say about the matter on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

"“He hasn’t (apologized), but I feel he said what he had to say and got that out after the race. I don’t think that was the end of the world. I don’t really think he did anything wrong there. We all have emotions inside and outside of the race cars and that stuff happens.”"

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With Alex Bowman admitting that these kinds of things happen and that he does not believe that Bubba Wallace was ever in the wrong, will the feud between these two drivers continue on throughout the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs?

Bowman is still one of the 12 drivers who can win this year’s championship while Wallace is not. The opening race of the round of 12, the Drydene 400, is set to be broadcast live on NBC from Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware this afternoon beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET. Bowman qualified in 12th place while Wallace qualified in 26th.

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