Bubba Wallace wrecks Kyle Larson from behind during the Las Vegas race. Will Lester/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Bubba Wallace appeared to intentionally wreck Kyle Larson from behind at over 150 mph. Former NASCAR champ Joey Logano was critical of the move, noting Kyle Larson’s life was on the line.
Former crew chief Larry McReynolds said he would not be surprised if Wallace is suspended. Former NASCAR champion Joey Logano didn’t hold back in his criticism of Bubba Wallace for causing a wreck with Kyle Larson that could have been much worse. Logano, who won the Las Vegas race and advanced to the Championship 4, was a guest on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
He was asked about Wallace appearing to retaliate against Larson by hitting him from behind and causing a wreck at over 150 mph that knocked both drivers out of the race. “The retaliation is not okay in the way it happened,” Logano said. “If he spun him to the infield, maybe it’s a little better, maybe.
But right-rear hooking somebody in the dogleg is not okay. I don’t know if everybody realizes how bad that could have been. That could’ve been the end of Kyle Larson’s career.
That, to me, was what was on the line — or his life. That is the worst place to get right-rear hooked, into a corner. “—SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch.
90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) October 18, 2022Logano went on to suggest Wallace used his car as a weapon. “I don’t like using cars as a weapon,” Logano said, making a reference to another recent incident in which 19-year-old Ty Gibbs retaliated on pit road, nearly forcing an opponent into a group of crew members who were working on a car. “If you’re that mad, just get out and fight him, that’s fine .
. . But do I think straight-up blasting them into the wall is okay? No, because the consequences are way bigger than just a race.
“Former Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne, while a guest on “NASCAR Race Hub,” also echoed Logano’s sentiments about how the wreck could have been much worse. According to Bayne, Larson got lucky to hit Christopher Bell’s car as he slid up the track, keeping Larson from hitting the wall. “If the 20-car is not there on the straightaway when the 5-car spins and is coming up, he’s going to back that car in [to the wall], which is the worst position to have these race cars in for impact,” Bayne said.
—NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 16, 2022 Similar wrecks, where a driver has spun and hit the wall backward, have recently led to serious concussions in both Kurt Busch and Alex Bowman. The new NextGen cars are so sturdy that they don’t absorb as much of the impact during wrecks. In Busch’s case, it ended his season and led to his announcement that he is retiring from full-time racing.
Bell, a playoff driver, was knocked out of the first race in the Round of Eight. With only two races left to decide which four drivers will compete for the championship, Bell now likely needs a win to advance. Former NASCAR crew chief Larry McReynolds was also on “NASCAR Race Hub” and explained why a combination of factors would leave him “not shocked” if Wallace is suspended for a race.
“I think they are going to look at the retaliation,” McReynolds said. “I think they are going to look at the fact that he walks down the race track and goes down there and shoves on Kyle Larson. But I think another big-ticket item is the fact that he did not listen to NASCAR [asking him to get into the safety vehicle].
He had actually put his hands on an official. “Bubba Wallace argues with a NASCAR official after wrecking Kyle Larson. NBCWallace, who denied that he intentionally hit Larson, issued a statement on Monday apologizing for his actions.
However, while he did apologize to Bell, he did not apologize to Larson in the statement. —Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) October 17, 2022 Read the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/joey-logano-bubba-wallace-kyle-larson-wreck-suspension-2022-10
