How did Bubba Wallace’s clash with Kyle Larson secretly sabotage Ryan Blaney’s high-stakes playoff pursuit?
Setbacks marred Kyle Larson's Cup Series race at the Darlington Raceway until the Hendrick Motorsports driver's #5 Chevy finally succumbed to a DNF through Bubba Wallace's Toyota. The final blow to Larson's day happened when Wallace rear-ended the former with four laps until the checkered flag dropped.
On the same lap, Ryan Blaney passed Tyler Reddick for the lead. Since his fourth-place finish at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Blaney hasn't been able to place his #12 Ford Mustang in the top 10. He got a chance to redeem himself at Darlington and to safeguard his place in the title fight, but that didn't happen.
The final caution proved a significant setback for the Team Penske driver. Not only did he lose the front spot once all lead lap cars entered the pit lane, but he also lost the race off the pit road to Denny Hamlin, eventually leading to his sabotaged playoff hope.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver exited the pit first, followed by Reddick, William Byron, and Blaney. Hamlin had a strong start to the final green, propelling his #11 Toyota Camry to a second consecutive win. Meanwhile, Blaney, the 2023 Cup Series champion who finished fifth, couldn't help but see his potential playoff ticket slip from his grasp.
NASCAR insider reveals what Bubba Wallace told him about his wreck with Kyle Larson
After a comparatively lackluster performance in the 2024 season, Bubba Wallace has shown signs of punching a playoff ticket on several occasions this season. The 23XI Racing driver was fresh off two consecutive third-place finishes in Homestead-Miami and Martinsville and posted a solid P2 finish in Darlington's Stage 1.
However, he plummeted in the second stage and eyed making a comeback. While doing so, he inched closer to Larson, who was over 160 laps down due to the Lap 4 wreck that severely damaged his Camaro. But Reddick's wreck drew an unwarranted check-up from Larson, leading to Wallace's crash, something the 23XI driver told NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck post-race.
"Bubba Wallace told me he didn’t think it was warranted for Larson to check up as much as he did after Reddick hit the wall but apologized for ruining Blaney’s day. He came up and whispered something in Blaney’s ear on pit road and Blaney declined to say what it was."
Bubba Wallace has dropped one place in the Cup Series standings and now ranks eighth. Meanwhile, his teammate Reddick is placed fifth. JGR driver and 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin has climbed six spots with his second consecutive triumph and is 49 points shy of the leader, William Byron.