NASCAR: Bubba Wallace has gotten himself into trouble before
By Asher Fair
Unfortunately, this is not the first time Bubba Wallace has said something that has gotten him into trouble throughout his NASCAR career.
Virtual world actions and reactions can have real-life consequences, as Richard Petty Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace found out Sunday at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway in the third round of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, which was introduced after the coronavirus pandemic brought the actual 2020 season to an unexpected halt.
After making early contact with Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer multiple times, Wallace decided to quit the 150-lap race around the virtual four-turn, 0.533-mile (0.858-kilometer) oval in Bristol, Tennessee.
Here is a video of the incident.
"C'MON, @BubbaWallace!"- @ClintBowyer pic.twitter.com/Zqne4HIPa5
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
Here is how Wallace responded.
Bubba OUT. @ClintBowyer #NASCAR #ProInvitationalSeries pic.twitter.com/Oq7ggLBPi6
— Davin (@DriveThrough_) April 5, 2020
As Wallace was criticized by fans for reacting the way he did, he further made light of the situation.
https://twitter.com/BubbaWallace/status/1246870113896316929
https://twitter.com/BubbaWallace/status/1246871123192668161
But Blue-Emu, which sponsored Wallace’s #43 Chevrolet for this race and has served as a sponsor for the #43 Richard Petty Motorsports team in real life as well, took exception to the way he reacted.
As a result, they are no longer one of his sponsors.
GTK where you stand. Bye bye Bubba. We're interested in drivers, not quitters.
— Blue-Emu (@BlueEmu1) April 5, 2020
— Blue-Emu (@BlueEmu1) April 5, 2020
Unfortunately for Wallace, this is not the first time he has gotten himself or his team in trouble due to saying things aloud when it was best to remain quiet.
More from NASCAR Cup Series
- NASCAR Cup Series: New team set to compete in 2024
- NASCAR: Surprising name continuously linked to new seat
- NASCAR driver at risk of missing the Daytona 500?
- NASCAR set for rare appearance last seen 13 years ago
- NASCAR team adds third car, names driver for 2024 Daytona 500
Just a few months ago, in the antepenultimate race of the 2019 season at Texas Motor Speedway, Wallace spun out late in the event, bringing out the caution flag and effectively changing the outcome of the race. There were accusations that he spun out on purpose, and the data suggested that this was the case.
It took until a few days later at Phoenix Raceway for NASCAR to fine him and penalize him. But when they did so, they didn’t do it because of the spin itself.
They did it because he admitted he spun on purpose, particularly because of the “what are they going to do about it?” attitude in which he admitted it.
Here’s what @BubbaWallace had to say about his spin at @TXMotorSpeedway, and @KyleBusch and @KyleLarsonRacin’s comments.#NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/jJsbWgnwFS
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) November 9, 2019
Wallace was fined $50,000 and docked 50 points in the championship standings.
While he wasn’t officially “fined” this time around, the loss of a sponsor is certainly nothing to take lightly in this day and age, especially considering the fact that Blue-Emu recently became an official partner of NASCAR as well as the fact that Richard Petty Motorsports are one of the sport’s least competitive teams.
Fortunately for Wallace, points are not officially being tallied in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, although you can keep up to date with the unofficial standings, so he did not lose any points this time around.
Next. Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time. dark
The next race on the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series schedule is scheduled to take place at virtual Richmond Raceway on Sunday, April 19, as the series has off for Easter this weekend. This race is set to be simulcast live on Fox, Fox Sports 1 and the Fox Sports app beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET.