The first round of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway was uneventful, dominated by commercials more than anything else. A few minutes after Stage 2, “The Big One” happened in Dega.

Just 17 laps into the second stage with racing three-wide at the front of the field, Ross Chastain came to the middle of the lane. This created a stack-up with Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, Josh Berry and Joey Logano behind him, that momentum carried Bubba Wallace to the lead.

READ MORE: Tyler Reddick announces contract decision

The No. 23 car came loose from the stack-up push and overturned into the wall, where it was struck by Cole Custer’s No. 41 car. Custer went down and hit Daniel Suarez, who spun into Logano, and the massacre took over most of the field.

Wallace exited his car due to the damage at the end of the race and was taken to the infield care center where he was treated. Speaking to Fox’s pit reporter Jamie Little, he accepted responsibility for what happened.

“We have to figure out how to push better, so I’ll take charge. We’ll do a good debrief and figure out what we can do to make our Toyota a little better at pushing.”

Bubba Wallace on “The Big One” in Dega

In total, NASCAR reported that Seth Eggert counted at least 30 cars that were involved in this massive crash. Obviously, this required a red flag, as the NASCAR Cup Series looked to set a record for the worst crash in the modern era.

About 14 lead-lap cars escaped damage. Coming out of the wreck, the running order for Jack Link’s 500 was Ryan Preece, Chastain, Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, Eric Jones, Michael McDowell, Todd Gilliland, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., AJ Allmendinger, Cody Ware, Noah Gragson, Zane Smith and Austin Dillon, as recorded by The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck.

• DNFs from the Wreck: Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, William Byron, Chad Fincham and Cole Custer

Logano, Custer, Blaney, Berry, Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski all went to the garage with their cars requiring significant repairs. Larson’s No. 5 suffered damage late in the race and finished last. Logano (DNF) finished 39th, Custer (DNF) 38th, Blaney (DNF) 37th and Wallace 36th.

William Byron’s No. 24 car had to have a bent tie rod replaced, and it was determined that the car could not be repaired, ending his day. He finished Sunday’s race in 35th place.

While the No. 54 car of Ty Gibbs was able to run after the restart, his front tire blew out a few minutes later and he crashed into the wall. This was due to damage caused in the initial accident. He ended the day in the 34th minute.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Bubba Wallace’s day ended abruptly at Martinsville Speedway during last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 when the 23XI Racing driver lost control on a late restart and careened into the back of Carson Hocevar’s car.

Contact in Turn 4 spun Hocevar and caused a pileup of 12 cars, resulting in significant damage that forced Wallace to retire from the race with a 36th-place finish.

Wallace, who was already racing competitively, took responsibility for the incident, but called it a misjudgment amid the frustration of being three-wide.

To many fans, it seemed like a reversal of his old, polarizing ways. After a self-inflicted DNF, Wallace has been warned to keep his emotions in check moving forward.

“Bubba Wallace just drove the 77 car.” pic.twitter.com/KzYLAw766D

– FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) 29 March 2026

Bubba Wallace warns to remain calm after Martinsville incident

During Kevin Harvick’s latest Happy R In the episode, the former Cup Series champion warned Bubba that he needs to improve moving forward.

He said, “Bubba got angry because Carson put him three wide on the restart and put him in a bad position, and Bubba didn’t like that.” “But, you know, it’s Martinsville, and I’ve lost my temper many times in Martinsville and I’ve probably done things like that, too.”

Harvick suggested that Wallace losing his temper was the result of growing hostility over the fact that he was no longer the star of 23XI Racing.

“Your teammate is the guy who has won four races and is leading the points, it’s a lot of pressure,” he said. “I promise you he’s disappointed that he’s not the guy who wins the race.”

“But you have to keep it together. You can’t lose your temper like that and lose all those points for yourself and your team.”

Putting it together has been a struggle for Wallace throughout his career.

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The incident has drawn strong reactions from within Wallace’s own 23XI Racing camp. Spotter Freddy Craft, speaking on door, bumper, clear Podcast, offered sharp criticism.

“You can’t have those mistakes. I’ll take him at his word that he made the wrong decision; I know he wanted to be involved, but I don’t think he meant to, obviously, end our day. That can’t be happening,” Kraft said angrily.

He added, “If you want to be a championship contender or be in the top five, seven or eight in points, you can’t have those moments. It can’t happen.” “Unfortunately, we ended our day yesterday by suicide.”

Co-owner Denny Hamlin expressed a similar assessment work harmful Podcast, noting that Wallace “ruined himself.”

Hamlin said, “I understood that Bubba doomed himself trying to get Carson out of the way.” “He didn’t give up, kept driving out there and it ultimately caused him to destroy himself and others. That’s what I believe.”

All of these comments share a common theme: Wallace must display his aggression more effectively to avoid repeating these self-inflicted failures. And he needs to do this before his team gets completely fed up with his antics.

Rusty Weis is a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Dallas Cowboys and Xavier Musketeers. He has been writing professionally… More about Rusty Weiss

23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace had a chance to finish in the top 20 in Sunday’s Cook Out 400, which would have kept him at least in the top seven in the NASCAR standings entering the break. Instead, he got involved with Carson Hocevar in a decision that ruined his day and cost the No. 23 team.

Recaping the race on Monday’s episode of Action Detrimental, driver and 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin noted Wallace’s costly action against Hocevar in the final stages.

RELATED: Cook Out 400 winners, losers, including Bubba Wallace

“I understand that Bubba wrecked himself trying to get Carson off the road. He didn’t give up, kept driving out there and ultimately wrecked himself and others because of it. That’s what I believe.”

Denny Hamlin on Bubba Wallace driving at Carson Hocevar at Martinsville

On a restart with 77 laps to go in the Cook Out 400, Hocevar made an aggressive move by going under Wallace in the corner to make it three-wide. The No. 23 driver, who felt his car was performing poorly after showing a lot of pace in practice, seemed to be upset by the move.

On the next lap, Wallace passed his car to the No. 77 and then passed him again into the corner. Hocevar’s car spun, taking out other cars along with it, while the No. 23 car suffered damage late in the race, resulting in a 36th-place finish.

Hamlin also addressed Hocevar’s actions leading up to the incident, which is not uncommon in NASCAR, but is generally viewed as a ‘d***’ move.

RELATED: Carson Hocevar Addresses Comparisons to NASCAR Legend

“It’s normally an ad*** move, if everybody is restarting in Turn 1 on the restart, everybody has to check for the corner, OK? If you’re in row 8, you’re normally checking for turn 1 as quickly as possible. It’s like going into Turn 1 at COTA where someone is just like, ‘Okay, I’m just going to the left and if you guys are going to check-up, I Going to jam it in there. Carson says I’m going to go three-wide again down the stretch in Martinsville. This is not illegal, it is just an ad*** move.”

Denny Hamlin on Carson Hocevar’s actions leading to contact with Bubba Wallace

That doesn’t mean Hamlin condoned Wallace’s actions, which cost the No. 23 team double-digit points and dropped to 11th in points. Instead, it is the future Hall of Famer who explains the specific move that further incensed Wallace and why Hocevar’s move was responded to with hostile action.

Hocevar has driven like this since coming to the Cup Series, and he has made it clear that he is willing to do anything to win. Wallace, at age 32, is an experienced driver whose emotions ultimately only hurt himself and harmed teammates who were not involved in the incident.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Just days after Cup Series drivers Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain got into a post-race confrontation following the Pennzoil 400, 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace became the latest to call attention to the fight in NASCAR and the rulemaking that fines drivers when it happens.

Speaking to Frontstretch.com’s Dalton Hopkins ahead of Saturday’s Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Darlington Raceway, Wallace shared his perspective on whether NASCAR should allow drivers to contend again.

Reality: NASCAR Cup Series debut at Darlington, see where Bubba Wallace starts

“I don’t think so. When you go wrong… I blame my father, but I also respect him for how he was, he was an eye for an eye, okay? When you’re disrespected, it’s a fine line to be a better person or make sure they don’t do it again. … There’s got to be a fine line because it’s going to happen.”

NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace on whether he should be fined for fighting other drivers (H/T Dalton Hopkins of Frontstretch.com)

Last Sunday, Suárez got out of his car and came to confront Chastain on pit road. Moments later, bystanders pushed Chastain away before coming between the two drivers to prevent the incident from escalating. A few days later, Suárez said that he would have fought Chastain if he had not received a fine from NASCAR and the impact the fight could have on sponsors’ interest.

There hasn’t been a fight between NASCAR Cup Series drivers since Ricky Stenhouse Jr. attacked Kyle Busch after the 2024 All-Star Race. Just days after the brawl, NASCAR announced that Stenhouse Jr. was fined $75,000 and two crew members were also suspended for their roles in the brawl.

RELATED: NASCAR Stage Winners 2026, Bubba Wallace Among Stage State Leaders

The great irony, as Chase Elliott later pointed out, was that NASCAR gave Stenhouse the largest fine ever for the fight, but the video was also used in marketing, to generate engagement on social media and it brought more attention to the sport that many company executives wanted.

Speaking to Hopkins, Wallace proposed something that would give fans, drivers and NASCAR what it wants, while also ensuring that no one gets seriously injured. Adopting something along the lines of hockey rules could help drivers deal with what is perceived as persistent disrespect by a co-worker and prevent things from getting worse.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings, Bubba Wallace in top 10 before Darlington

“I think that’s fair but, we’ve always talked about hockey rules. Go on the field and then you can stop it, but there’s got to be a fine line. Because it’s going to happen, you’re going to get disrespected unless it’s behind the scenes and that’s too bad.”

Bubba Wallace on NASCAR’s current rules regarding fighting and the risks of not allowing it

For Wallace, who recently announced he and his wife welcomed their second child on Thursday, a $75,000 fine for settling differences with another driver after a race isn’t fair. If NASCAR ever decides to be a little more lenient in its penalties for fighting, while keeping personnel on the front lines to avoid actual brawls or significant injuries, maybe it could work out for everyone in the long run.

READ MORE: Denny Hamlin praises Bubba Wallace’s improvement

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Just days after Cup Series drivers Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain got into a post-race confrontation following the Pennzoil 400, 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace became the latest to call attention to the fight in NASCAR and the rulemaking that fines drivers when it happens.

Speaking to Frontstretch.com’s Dalton Hopkins ahead of Saturday’s Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Darlington Raceway, Wallace shared his perspective on whether NASCAR should allow drivers to contend again.

Reality: NASCAR Cup Series debut at Darlington, see where Bubba Wallace starts

“I don’t think so. When you go wrong… I blame my father, but I also respect him for how he was, he was an eye for an eye, okay? When you’re disrespected, it’s a fine line to be a better person or make sure they don’t do it again. … There’s got to be a fine line because it’s going to happen.”

NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace on whether he should be fined for fighting other drivers (H/T Dalton Hopkins of Frontstretch.com)

Last Sunday, Suárez got out of his car and came to confront Chastain on pit road. Moments later, bystanders pushed Chastain away before coming between the two drivers to prevent the incident from escalating. A few days later, Suárez said that he would have fought Chastain if he had not received a fine from NASCAR and the impact the fight could have on sponsors’ interest.

There hasn’t been a fight between NASCAR Cup Series drivers since Ricky Stenhouse Jr. attacked Kyle Busch after the 2024 All-Star Race. Just days after the brawl, NASCAR announced that Stenhouse Jr. was fined $75,000 and two crew members were also suspended for their roles in the brawl.

RELATED: NASCAR Stage Winners 2026, Bubba Wallace Among Stage State Leaders

The great irony, as Chase Elliott later pointed out, was that NASCAR gave Stenhouse the largest fine ever for the fight, but the video was also used in marketing, to generate engagement on social media and it brought more attention to the sport that many company executives wanted.

Speaking to Hopkins, Wallace proposed something that would give fans, drivers and NASCAR what it wants, while also ensuring that no one gets seriously injured. Adopting something along the lines of hockey rules could help drivers deal with what is perceived as persistent disrespect by a co-worker and prevent things from getting worse.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings, Bubba Wallace in top 10 before Darlington

“I think that’s fair but, we’ve always talked about hockey rules. Go on the field and then you can stop it, but there’s got to be a fine line. Because it’s going to happen, you’re going to get disrespected unless it’s behind the scenes and that’s too bad.”

Bubba Wallace on NASCAR’s current rules regarding fighting and the risks of not allowing it

For Wallace, who recently announced he and his wife welcomed their second child on Thursday, a $75,000 fine for settling differences with another driver after a race isn’t fair. If NASCAR ever decides to be a little more lenient in its penalties for fighting, while keeping personnel on the front lines to avoid actual brawls or significant injuries, maybe it could work out for everyone in the long run.

READ MORE: Denny Hamlin praises Bubba Wallace’s improvement

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

As most of the spotlight focuses on 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick becoming the first driver in NASCAR history to win the first three Cup Series races of the season, teammate Bubba Wallace is off to the best start of his career. This is, in part, thanks to their improvements on road routes.

Coming off the Circuit of the Americas, where Wallace finished 11th and was in the top 10 in points earned, driver and 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin recently praised Wallace for his road-course improvements on the latest episode of Action Detrimental.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings after COTA, see where Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin landed

“He should be very proud of his development on the road course. He downplays it quite a bit, you know, ‘I struggle.’ The 10 has a solid, back half now on the road to get the pace and his craft going.

Denny Hamlin on Bubba Wallace’s improvements at road courses

This is coming from the Duramax Texas Grand Prix, where Wallace scored a career-best finish at COTA with an 11th-place result after starting the day 24th. Most impressively, this happened when the No. 23 team played for points in Stage 2 (5 points) and then had to start the final stage after pitting near the back of the field.

Wallace was 24th at one point in the final stages before a restart following a caution with 17 laps remaining. He moved up to 16th with 15 laps to go, 12th with 11 laps to go, and in the final laps he passed William Byron to move up to 11th, just behind Hamlin.

RELATED: Denny Hamlin predicts how Tyler Reddick finishes in the regular season

He has now finished top 15 or better in his last three races on the road course, including an eighth-place finish at Watkins Glen last August. Over the past two years, spanning from the COTA race on March 24, 2024, to March 1, 2026, Wallace’s average finishing position is 16.16.

Keep in mind this also includes the Chicago Street Race last summer where he was 6th with 6 laps to go before getting into it with Alex Bowman and eventually spinning out. Ultimately he finished 28th.

Wallace has become the caliber of driver that Hamlin envisioned when he brought him to 23XI Racing. It shows this season, with Wallace’s improvement on road courses and the fact that he is currently second in points with the third-highest average finishing position (9.7) and second-most laps led (86) in the Cup Series. Redick and Wallace have become 23XI’s top drivers, and the team’s future could be even brighter next season, with top prospect Corey Heim expected to join the team full-time as a replacement for Riley Herbst.

READ MORE: 23XI Racing driver Riley Herbst an option for another Cup team in 2027

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson