1 week Ago By Aneesh
Bubba Wallace 's spotter Freddie Kraft called out NASCAR's 'questionable' ruling at the Darlington Raceway that 'changed the entire race' at the 'Too Tough To Tame' track. The disappointment stemmed from the officials' decision to issue caution four laps after Brad Keselowski spun following the withdrawal of his rear wheel nut. The RFK Racing driver was fresh off the pit road but a loose nut on Lap 135 sent the #6 Ford Mustang spinning off Turn 4, nearly ending the 2012 Cup Series champion's day.
Keselowski masterfully saved his NextGen package from a big blow, successfully entering the pitlane three laps later. NASCAR didn't raise the caution, and according to Tommy Baldwin, the officials did so because they wanted to observe whether the track was fit for racing. However, a lap after Keselowski pitted, the caution was raised as Ford's nut lay against the inside wall on the restart zone, where drivers barely steer through according to Bubba Wallace's spotter.
On the flip side, drivers who pitted under the green flag cycle suffered a setback as NASCAR's wave-around policy meant they lost all track positions gained during the pitstop. Thus, Kraft was vocal about NASCAR's ruling, slamming the officials for making the call for 'no f**king reason.' While Kraft expressed resentment over the call, Wallace benefitted from that decision to regain his track position during the wave around.
With two consecutive podium finishes in Homestead-Miami and Martinsville, Bubba Wallace showed signs of producing another dominant finish in the Goodyear 400 hosted by the Darlington Raceway. The 23XI Racing driver stood fifth fastest in the qualifying and was primed for a top-5 until the end of Stage 1, finishing second. The Alabama native lost several track positions in the second stage and tried to reclaim the form before the checkered flag was dropped.
On the other hand, Kyle Larson, who was more than 160 laps down from an early race wreck, eyed to finish the race. However, as Tyler Reddick bounced off the outside wall on Lap 290 Larson checked up in the middle of the race, leading to a run-in by Bubba Wallace. The crash ended Larson's day and dropped Wallace to a P21 finish.
Ranked eighth, Bubba Wallace is above the playoff elimination line, but a triumph could guarantee his spot in the title fight. Aneesh Aneesh is a Motorsports journalist at Sportskeeda and covers both NASCAR and Formula 1. An ardent sports fan since his early lawn tennis days, he has showcased his keenness in NASCAR, and has already garnered 5 million views at Sportskeeda thanks to his meticulous work.
When it comes to NASCAR, his top picks are Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain, while in Formula 1, he fervently supports Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. He believes F1 should continue to have more races in courses than in street circuits and feels NASCAR should be more proactive about global promotions to reach F1’s popularity level. He is very particular about his sourcing for articles, largely relying on the official website of F1 and NASCAR, and relies on understanding different perspectives by browsing through social media and reputed publications for unique story angles.
Even in his spare time, Aneesh is keen to learn more about F1 cars and studies various aspects of them, including its design and engine. He enjoys driving himself and often explores new parts of his city when he can. Quick Links.
