Bubba Wallace reveals Michael Jordan's policy for retaliation
Bubba Wallace addressed Chase Elliott’s suspension ahead of Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Wallace praised NASCAR for being consistent after he was suspended last October for a similar incident involving Kyle Larson.
“I mean, they’re keeping it consistent, right? I think that’s what we asked for,” Wallace said, via The Comeback. “A lot of the times, we give them a lot of grief for being so inconsistent, so to me, that was the same thing as what happened at Vegas with me and the No. 5 car, and he’s taking a week off for it.
“It is what it is. I said it earlier as well. NASCAR’s laying their foot down with this new car. Look at the No. 14 penalty. We’ve paid a lot of money in fines. We, as the Cup Series, have paid a lot of fines this year, and they’re not messing around.”
As for future retaliation in these instances, Wallace said he learned a lesson from 23XI principal owner Michael Jordan.
“Our policy and MJ will text you that right away is; you go beat them on the racetrack. That’s your retaliation,” Wallace said.
Wallace retaliated during the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last season after Larson made contact with him coming out of Turn 4. Wallace responded by driving down to the apron and intentionally hooking Larson. Elliott made the same decision during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway last Monday, a decision which left him suspended for the Enjoy Illinois 300.
“It would be difficult to have a conversation with Denny [Hamlin] or Bubba or someone else and say, ‘Hey, it was not OK for Bubba to do it and it’s OK for Chase to do it. … We hate it but it’s a call we needed to make,’” NASCAR president Steve Phelps said of Elliott’s suspension.
Bubba Wallace’s hot streak comes to an end
Wallace entered the Enjoy Illinois 300 on a heater, having notched three consecutive top 5s, as well as a P2 finish in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. He appeared on his way to another stellar finish until a brake rotor issue put him in the wall with five laps remaining. Wallace finished P30, his worst finish since Circuit of The Americas on March 26.