"Leave me the f*** alone" - Bubba Wallace Jr. goes on angry rant after his pit crew make expensive mistake at Ally 400 at Nashville Speedway

Bubba Wallace Jr. and crew talk on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway
Bubba Wallace Jr. and crew talk on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway

Sunday in Nashville was the season's picture, with Bubba Wallace Jr. the No. 23 driver, like Kurt Busch's No. 45, having the speed to burn but failing to execute on it because his pit crew misled him, as has been the case all season.

Stage 2 has become a reoccurring nightmare for Wallace Jr. and the No. 23 team throughout the season. The 23XI Racing driver exited his stall after a pit stop and began returning to the track. That's when crew chief Bootie Barker asked his driver to stop at some point due to a loose wheel. Wallace Jr. followed the orders of his crew chief.

Unfortunately, Tyler Reddick, who was close behind, missed the warning and crashed into the back of his car. The 28-year-old driver was upset and made his displeasure known to his team over the radio as he made his way back around the course and down pit road to tighten up the loose wheel. Bubba Wallace Jr. said:

“You mother f******. Leave me the f*** alone. Don’t talk to me the rest of the race.

Wallace Jr. has publicly criticized his pit crew this season. The team's co-owner and current NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin has also spoken out about No. 23's problems. Nothing has changed. On Sunday, team co-owner Michael Jordan was present and witnessed everything. It will be interesting to see whether the team can turn things around this season.


Bubba Wallace Jr.’s crew chief is to blame for his failure in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Bubba Wallace Jr. has lost out multiple times this season, but the problem might be his chief crew. While many judged Wallace Jr. for his behavior last Sunday, one has to acknowledge that the driver has often been let down by his crew chief this season.

During the Circuit of America's race, the No. 23 vehicle lost a wheel, resulting in a four-race suspension for Bootie Barker and two pit crew members. Another incident occurred last month at Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, where Wallace Jr. was fast on track, but was again let down by his crew chief.

During Coca-Cola 600, Bootie Barker admitted to committing a critical error that cost Bubba Wallace Jr. In Stage 2, there was a massive wreck that caught up with Wallace, and despite having minor damage, he needed to clear the damaged vehicle policy.

He was sent to the garage despite having just minor damage as he failed to clear the DVP clock before it expired. The crew chief admitted his mistake later.

Wallace Jr. suffered little damage, but his challenge was to keep his speed to a minimum. Barker then instructed Wallace to concentrate on preventing further damage after the crash.

Bubba Wallace is currently 24th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 313 points after zero wins, one top-five finish, and two top-ten finishes. For him to have any chance of winning or making the playoffs, something has to change fast.

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