Bubba Wallace and his NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race aspirations came to a screeching halt on Wednesday night. The 26-year-old driver was involved in a big crash after being bumped by Michael McDowell.
During the first segment of the qualifying race at Bristol, McDowell turned Wallace into a wall. The bump spun Wallace’s No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro 180-degrees around in a violent collision.
The crash occurred when Wallace moved past McDowell, driving the No. 34 Ford Mustang. Wallace held a clear lane to overtake McDowell and William Byron. As Wallace passed, McDowell hit the rear of Wallace’s car spinning him into the wall.
Wallace managed to avoid any injuries in the crash. However, his vehicle was in no driving condition with flat tires and rim bent in half.
After the race, Wallace voiced his irritation with McDowell’s move. During a TV interview, Wallace said, “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. What a joke he is.”
Furthermore, Wallace left the damaged bumper of his wrecked car at McDowell’s hauler door. Nascar Writer Noah Lewis shared a picture of the scene on Twitter.
Both Wallace and McDowell took part in the qualifying race because neither won a race in 2019 or 2020. NASCAR divides the qualifying races into three segments. The winner of each segment advances to the All-Star Race. In addition to each segment winner, the victor of the fan vote makes the main event.
Before Wednesday’s race, Bubba Wallace led the fan vote. He was likely to advance to the All-Star Race. However, he was considered ineligible for the race because his car was damaged beyond repair.
[H/T Pop Culture]
