NASCAR hands Bubba Wallace a suspension after infamous incident with Kyle Larson
NASCAR gave Bubba Wallace a one-race suspension.
The driver of the #45 car will miss Sunday's Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway after violating a rule in the NASCAR
Members' Code of Conduct released Tuesday. He was charged no fines or penalty points.
The 29-year-old 23XI Racing driver was penalized for a fight he had with Kyle Larson at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend.
At the start of stage 2, Larson pushed Wallace into the wall, and in retaliation,
Wallace swung left into the right rear quarter panel of car #. 5, turning the driver around and ending both days immediately.
Once his car was parked, Wallace immediately walked over to Larson and physically confronted him,
starting a shoving match that quickly garnered national attention.
"He knows what he did was wrong," Wallace later told NBC Sports.
Wallace is only the third driver in 11 years to be suspended from a NASCAR race due to an on-track incident.
The driver's most recent suspension was handed out in 2015 to Matt Kenseth, who intentionally destroyed Joey Logano at Martinsville.
In a statement Tuesday night, 23XI Racing announced that John Hunter Nemechek will drive the #45 Toyota in place of Wallace this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Nemechek is the son of former NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion Joe Nemechek and has racing experience at the Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series levels.
"23XI agrees with NASCAR in suspending a race issued to Bubba, and we understand the need for the
series to take a clear position on the incidents that occurred at Las Vegas Motor Speedway," the statement read.
“Bubba's actions are not in line with the values of our team and partners. We talked to Bubba and expressed our disapproval of how he handled the situation.
Bubba has made impressive progress this season and this experience is an opportunity for him to learn and grow as a NASCAR competitor.”
Wallace apologized in a statement Monday, saying his behavior "does not align with the core values shared by 23XI Racing and our partners,
who have played a crucial role in my incredible journey to the top of this great sport."
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