Bubba Wallace nearly achieved one of his best NASCAR Cup Series finishes before a late penalty altered the outcome at the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. Wallace thought he had finished second, but NASCAR reviewed his final-lap move and determined he had gone below the double-yellow line while attempting to gain an advantage.
Officials dropped the 23XI Racing driver to 29th, costing him 27 championship points and pushing him to 13th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. While 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin believed Wallace made the only realistic move to challenge for the victory, he also said NASCAR correctly applied its long-standing rule. Hamlin discussed the incident on the latest episode of his podcast, Actions Detrimental.
NASCAR Cup Series Final-Lap Gamble Gave Wallace One Chance
The NASCAR Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway ended after a lengthy rain delay pushed the event into the early hours of Monday morning. On the final lap, Wallace ran third behind Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar before making an aggressive move to the inside as the leaders battled down the backstretch. His No. 23 Toyota briefly crossed below the double-yellow line during the three-wide fight before Christopher Bell pushed Blaney to the race win.
Hamlin said Wallace’s decision was his only realistic chance to win.
“It was the only percentage shot he had of winning is to get three wide, and hopefully get a push, and it just, I mean, he just barely crossed over there,” Hamlin said.
Hamlin added that Wallace’s speed and momentum made it difficult to keep the car inside the racing surface.
“With the momentum and the speed that the 23 was coming around, it would have been hard for him to control his car within the limits because of how quick he turned left there.”
He also explained that the layout at EchoPark Speedway makes it hard for drivers to judge where the racing surface ends.
“When I’m going on the backstretch at Atlanta, the difference between the apron and the actual racetrack, there’s not much difference in banking. So looking at a straight line is like looking at a landing strip for an airplane.”
NASCAR Cup Series Rule Left NASCAR With Little Choice
Although Hamlin understood Wallace’s frustration, he said the NASCAR Cup Series rule has always been enforced consistently.
“When I watched it, I was thinking that that’s definitely gonna be a penalty because I’ve been penalized for it before. I know and understand the rule.”
Hamlin explained that the rule focuses on the attempt to gain an advantage rather than the final result.
“The rule isn’t just about gaining a position. You can’t put yourself in a position where you could gain one. The result doesn’t matter. It’s about the intent.”
He said drivers must treat the double-yellow line as if it were a wall.
“It is a wall. That’s how they rule it.”
Hamlin also noted that Wallace briefly moved ahead of the field during the final-lap battle.
“Even though the finishing position didn’t show that he advanced, if you look at the middle of Turns 3 and 4, Bubba was the furthest car forward at one point. Technically, he did take the lead during the move.”
NASCAR Cup Series Penalty Costs Wallace Valuable Championship Points
Wallace disagreed with NASCAR’s decision after spending more than 30 minutes discussing the incident with officials. He argued that he never improved his position while below the double-yellow line.
“The rule says advancing your position, which I did not do.”
Despite Wallace’s argument, NASCAR upheld the penalty under Section 8.7.2.A of the rulebook, which bans drivers from passing below the double-yellow line to improve their position.
The ruling erased what had been one of Wallace’s strongest NASCAR Cup Series performances of the season. After leading 11 laps and recovering from an earlier setback, he left Atlanta with only nine championship points instead of a runner-up finish.
Hamlin finished 12th and remained the NASCAR Cup Series points leader. His comments showed that while Wallace’s aggressive move gave him a chance to fight for the win, NASCAR’s officials followed the rule as it has been applied for years.
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