After slamming into the wall at the Bristol Motor Speedway, Bubba Wallace’s front bumper fell off of his racecar. That bumper sold through an auction for $20,034 on Monday.
Wallace, 26, crashed after getting bumped by Michael McDowell. While the collision ended Bubba Wallace’s chances of going to the NASCAR All-Star Race, he decided to team up with McDowell to raise money by auctioning off the bumper for charity.
After the race, Wallace was furious. During an interview with the media, Wallace didn’t mince words when speaking of McDowell. “People say [McDowell is] one of the nicest guys in the garage, can’t wait for the God-fearing text that he’s going to send me about preaching and praise and respect,” Wallace said. Before walking out of frame, Wallace concluded by saying, “What a joke he is.”
To further send a message to McDowell, Wallace dropped off his damaged bumper at McDowell’s hauler. Following the gesture, McDowell asked Wallace to join him in auctioning the bumper for Follow MRO. “Thank you @BubbaWallace for the gift,” McDowell tweeted. “Hopefully we can raise a lot of money for @FollowMRO. They are a CHRISTIAN ministry that has loved and served our @NASCAR community for over 30 years.”
Wallace opted to put his anger aside to raise money for Motor Racing Outreach, an organization dedicated to serving the racing community. MRO provides religious services at tracks for drivers and fans.
“When life gives you lemons, auction them off and raise money for @FollowMRO,” Wallace tweeted. “May not agree to what happened on the track, but we can agree on a positive outcome from the situation.”
The NASCAR Foundation organized the eBay auction in the days following the race. After weeks of placing bids, the bumper sold for more than $20k on July 27.
[H/T Fox News]
