NASCAR's recent imposition of a hefty $50,000 fine on driver Bubba Wallace has stirred controversy and conversations around the consistency of penalties following contentious incidents during and after the race. The event unfolding at the heated Chicago Street Race, especially during the cool-down lap, saw different repercussions for drivers involved in similar conduct.
Chase Elliott engaged in a scuffle with Daniel Suarez during the cool-down lap but avoided any specific penalties from NASCAR. Elliott's aggressive maneuver involved hitting the side of Suarez's No. 99 Chevrolet, an action clearly documented by Daniel Hemric's onboard camera. Despite this, the more severe penalty was handed to Bubba Wallace, who was fined for making significant contact with race winner Alex Bowman's car, an action that had observable consequences as Bowman struggled to maintain control, his hands briefly leaving the steering wheel as a result of the impact.
Fox Sports' NASCAR analyst, Bob Pockrass, shed light on these disparities in a social media post, writing:
"Also been told that NASCAR does plan to talk to Chase Elliott... In-car footage shows that Bowman had to catch his car after Wallace contact (force of the contact apparently caused his hands to come off the steering wheel) while that didn't happen in the Elliott-Suarez contact."
Also been told that NASCAR does plan to talk to Chase Elliott ... in-car footage shows that Bowman had to catch his car after Wallace contact (force of the contact apparently caused his hands to come off the steering wheel) while that didn't happen in the Elliott-Suarez contact. https://t.co/dkK6llr8RN
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 10, 2024
Further complicating the narrative, Daniel Suarez admitted his aggressive behavior during the race, stating, as quoted by On3.com:
"He pushed me a little bit and then I pushed him with all my intention. And I ended up hitting him pretty good on the very last corner. My bad on that."
The aftermath of the race saw Elliott and Suarez engaging in a relatively calm discussion on the pit road. Elliott's race performance suffered too, marking a significant drop as he finished in 21st place, which is notably his worst for this season and placed him 11 points behind teammate Kyle Larson in the standings.
Bowman commented after the race, urging NASCAR to not penalize Wallace. He said, as Newsweek previously reported:
"He barely hit me, everything was fine and it was plenty deserved.
"I'd be mad, too. I ruined his day. I just messed up. I've been embarrassed about it since it happened. I tried to call him during the rain delay and I shot him a text."
The official statement from NASCAR following the verdict and fining of Wallace explains:
"Bubba Wallace, driver of the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota, was fined $50,000 for violating Sections 4.4.B & D: NASCAR Member Code of Conduct during Sunday's Grant Park 165."
