NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace changed his tune Monday night after facing backlash over the last 36 hours for his role in a crash Sunday afternoon and his subsequent decision to get out of his car and attack the other driver.
The incident happened during Stage 2 of the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when Wallace, who won Stage 1, was next to driver Kyle Larson when Larson attempted a three-wide pass.
Larson moved up the track and his car gave a slight tap to Wallace’s car, causing Wallace’s car to brush up against the wall. After brushing up against the wall, Wallace bounced into Larson’s car and then continued by tracking Larson’s car down the track and slamming into the rear of his car, causing both cars to spin out.
In a statement Monday night, Wallace claimed that he intends “to learn from this” and he seemingly apologized to everyone except Larson:
I want to apologize for my actions on Sunday following the on-track incident with Kyle Larson and the No. 5 car.
My behavior does not align with the core values that are shared by 23XI Racing and our partners, who have played a crucial role in my incredible journey to the top of this great sport.
I want to apologize to NASCAR and the fans, along with Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Toyota for putting them in a situation in the Playoffs that they do not deserve.
I compete with immense passion, and with passion at times comes frustration. Upon reflecting, I should have represented our partners and core team values better than I did by letting my frustrations follow me outside of the car. You live and learn, and I intend to learn from this.
Wallace initially did not take any responsibility for his actions during a post-crash NBC interview and claimed that he did not intentionally slam into Larson’s car, only saying that his “steering was gone” and that Larson “just so happened to be there.”
“It was just a piss poor move on his execution,” Wallace claimed.
When asked about getting out of his vehicle and attacking Larson, Wallace responded that Larson knew what the message was that Wallace was trying to send.
“He knows,” Wallace said. “He knows that what he did was wrong. He wanted to question what I was doing. He never cleared me.”
