NASCAR: Bubba Wallace is now officially off the hook

The two drivers Bubba Wallace wrecked at Las Vegas Motor Speedway went on to win the next two races, meaning his move did not actually affect the NASCAR Cup Series championship battle.

Aside from the obvious safety concerns which arose after 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace intentionally wrecked Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson in retaliation during the mid-October NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, one of the topics of discussion was the wreck’s impact on the championship battle.

Wallace, a non-playoff driver whose #45 team had been eliminated in the round of 8, ended the race of Larson, whose #5 team was still in contention for the owner championship, as well as Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell, who remained championship eligible himself (as did his #20 team).

Wallace, who denied intent and even told NBC Sports reporter Marty Snider to “stop fishing” when asked about the appropriateness of such a move, ended up being suspended for the following weekend’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He returned this past Sunday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway.

Since his suspension, the drivers he wrecked are two for two.

Larson’s #5 team, Bell’s #20 team, and Bell himself entered Homestead-Miami Speedway below the Championship 4 cut lines in their respective playoffs, but they have all since advanced to the Championship 4 after all.

Larson had already been eliminated from championship contention following the round of 12, but because he won at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he locked his #5 team into the Championship 4 of the owner playoffs.

Bell then won the round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway, locking himself into the Championship 4 for the first time in his career and also securing his #20 team a spot in the Championship 4 of the owner playoffs.

The fact that Bell is technically a Toyota teammate of Wallace was also a point of criticism aimed at the 29-year-old Mobile, Alabama native after his ill-advised move, but now Bell is Toyota’s lone representative in the Championship 4 for both the driver playoffs and the owner playoffs.

As it turns out, Wallace’s move did not affect the championship battle whatsoever. With the drivers he took out winning the next two races, he is effectively “off the hook” in that regard.

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 is scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 6, and it is set to be broadcast live on NBC from Phoenix Raceway beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET. Start a free trial of FuboTV now if you haven’t already done so!