In the wild world of NASCAR, where speed meets strategy, drama is never far behind. Take a trip back to 2011 at Texas Motor Speedway, when Kyle Busch deliberately took out Ron Hornaday Jr. in a Truck Series race. The result? A rare suspension from NASCAR, signaling loud and clear that intentional wrecking won’t fly. That moment still lingers in fans’ minds, and now, years later, we’re staring down another controversy that’s got everyone buzzing after a chaotic clash at the Chicago Street Race.
In the aftermath of Grant Park 165, the chatter wasn’t just about Shane van Gisbergen’s sweep or the $1 million In-Season Challenge stakes. When Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace tangled for position in the closing laps, it reignited a rivalry that dates back to last year’s event. The 23XI Racing driver on the cool-down lap just rammed into the race winner, and NASCAR slapped him with a $50,000 fine. Well, the two drivers came to blows again in the streets of Chicago last weekend, and this time around, Bowman held his ground and even spun the #23 Camry to reclaim his position.
Now, NASCAR has clear rules against intentionally blocking a driver, which can lead to suspensions. We saw that with Chase Elliott back in 2023, and Austin Dillon lost his playoff spot for intentionally wrecking Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano at Richmond. So, NASCAR has a decision to make. Meanwhile, the two drivers were cordial in talking it out after the race ended. The fans expected fireworks or a heated scuffle, but nothing happened. However, it doesn’t mean they have settled their differences.
Bowman, sharing his take on the incident, stated, “I thought we had squashed the beef. It was just hard racing. I didn’t mean to spin him out; it was a racing incident… So certainly not trying to crash anybody. I mean, I’d have to watch it back to be certain, but I felt like he did it to himself because I kept pinballing between him and the outside wall. So yeah, wasn’t the intention.”
This battle was intense. pic.twitter.com/f3Q4aNJjlC
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 6, 2025
But the in-car camera footage zeroes in on that critical contact with Wallace’s right rear. A detail that could tip the scales if officials see it as more than just a racing mishap. The fan base isn’t sitting quietly either. One Reddit post sums up the stakes. “NASCAR will be taking a closer look at the Bubba/Bowman contact, specifically if there was a right rear hook to warrant a suspension.” Well, the fans had their say on the hot topic, and they didn’t think Bowman’s action warranted a suspension.
Bowman’s action doesn’t warrant a suspension
“That wasn’t a hook at all. It wasn’t even the top of aggro incidents. Just two guys beating each other up until one went too far.” This fan’s brushing it off as no big deal, and it’s not hard to see why. Think back to the 2022 Clash at the Coliseum. Joey Logano and Kyle Busch went hard at it in the closing laps, with some clear contact, but NASCAR ruled it as fair racing. We saw a similar sight when Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher banged doors at Kansas for a win, and once again, the officials saw it as a race-related incident.
“When our kids fight, we make them sit on the couch, hold hands, and say nice things about each other until they are friends again.” A funny take, sure, but it’s got heart. Now, NASCAR needs to be careful about handing out suspensions. No playoff waiver can secure Bowman’s entry into the playoffs with the new rules in place. If anything, NASCAR will need to have a meeting with the two drivers and try to settle the issue. We might see points deductions, as NASCAR has set a precedent with Austin Cindric’s case, specifically when he spun Ty Dillon at COTA.
“Looking at the in-car cameras, it’s pretty evident Bowman didn’t really do anything wrong. Bowman was against the wall, Bubba tried to clear himself, and he wasn’t clear.” After battling tooth and nail for multiple corner, Wallace managed to slide in front of Bowman, but he wasn’t in control and taking this opportunity, the HMS driver stepped on the gas and spun the No. 23 car around. For this fan, this was a race-related incident, but NASCAR officials will have a field day in clearing this one up.
This wasn’t an isolated event. Ross Chastain did something similar to Bowman as he took out two drivers, Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The final few laps of the race were frantic, which led to drivers losing their cool and tussling for every single position. This fan highlighted the incident, further cementing the claim that Bowman’s actions weren’t detrimental or egregious. “Yeah, I doubt anything comes from this. Same goes for the Logano/Chastain incident.”
Logano demanded that NASCAR take action on Chastain for intentionally spinning him out during the race. Well, there’s a lot NASCAR will need to consider before taking a final call on potential points penalty or even suspensions.
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