Bubba Wallace has accepted full responsibility for a late-race incident at Martinsville Speedway that affected both his result and his position in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.
The 23XI Racing driver made contact with Carson Hocevar in the closing laps, sending the No. 77 car into a spin and triggering a multi-car crash. Wallaceâs race ended early, and he finished 36th.
The result cost him points during a key stretch of the season. After the race, Wallace reached out directly to Hocevar to address the incident. The two drivers have since moved forward without further issue as the series heads to the next event.
Bubba Wallace Apologizes and Accepts Responsibility
Wallace confirmed he contacted Hocevar after the race and made it clear he was at fault.
âThat was good. He didnât do anything wrong on Sunday, so I apologize to him. All good.â
The incident occurred when Wallace misjudged the corner during a tight battle. Hocevar had entered the turn without contact before the collision. The spin collected multiple cars and ended Wallaceâs race on the spot.
Wallace addressed his reaction to the mistake and did not shift blame.
â100%. Yeah,â he said when asked if he was mad at himself. âIâve been mad at myself my whole life. So, itâs just another day. It sucks, but Iâve got to tuck my tail and take it on the chin and move on.â
He also noted that the team has already turned its focus to the next opportunity.
âNo one was happy about it, but we do know we have another opportunity in front of us to go out and rewrite history books.â
The Points Situation is not His Focus
The result affected Wallaceâs standing, but he said he is not closely tracking the points. When told about a tie in the standings, he showed surprise.
âI havenât even noticed. I was like, what?â
He pointed to the length of the season as the reason for his approach.
âMan, we still have a lot of racing to go. Just like the Masters, thereâs still a whole other 18 to play tomorrow.â
Wallace explained that he has stepped away from monitoring the standings, having done so earlier in his career.
âNot. Clearly, I donât. So Iâve done it for the majority of my career. Iâve always said it always seems to have bitten me. So Iâve given up on it. I do miss the Bob Pockrass updates, but Iâm good.â
Bristol Presents the next Opportunity
The series now moves to Bristol Motor Speedway, another short track known for close racing and high pressure. Wallace said the team used the break to reset after losing points in recent races.
âWeâve given up a lot of points in the last two races, unfortunately. Had a nice off weekend to reset and to get back up on the horse.â
He added that there is still a long stretch of races ahead.
âWeâve still got a long stretch to go⦠not sure how many, maybe 15 or 20. But looking forward to it.â
Wallace also highlighted recent positives from the teamâs performance.
âToday went way better than expected. Super pumped for Riley. Super pumped for our whole team. Put up good laps. But 35 showed up, and itâs pretty cool to see.â
With Bristol next on the schedule, Wallace and 23XI Racing will look to recover from Martinsville and continue the season with improved results.
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