From EssentiallySports · Megha Sapre · · 1m 30s
Bubba Wallace Criticizes NASCAR Bumper Physics
Bubba Wallace says NASCAR's new soft bumpers unfairly penalize innocent drivers in multi-car crashes.
In brief
Bubba Wallace says NASCAR's new soft bumpers unfairly penalize innocent drivers in multi-car crashes. Bubba Wallace argues NASCAR's softened bumpers punish drivers caught in multi-car incidents they didn't cause. Originally reported by EssentiallySports.
Bubba Wallace's Post-Race Statement
Bubba Wallace criticized NASCAR's new softened bumpers for unfairly penalizing drivers in multi-car incidents they didn't cause.
“Yeah, that was our goal. I didn’t get run into hard enough to piss me off, so that helped out a lot; the soft bumpers help that.”
Softened Bumpers Backfire
The new bumpers, designed to discourage intentional contact, instead punished drivers avoiding reckless moves and playing clean.
“Because just when you had stack-ups, and somebody gets spun, like the 10th car in line shouldn’t have to pay a penalty for that.”
Carson Hocevar's Brake-Checking
Carson Hocevar brake-tested Austin Cindric three to five times without penalties while Cindric's race ended with DNF.
“Carson Hocevar brake-tested Cindric three to five times and yet walked away without any penalties or repercussions”
Ryan Blaney's Incident
Ryan Blaney spun into Josh Berry during a multi-car incident, ending Blaney's race with a DNF and Berry finishing fourth.
“Blaney, who was running eighth at the time, finished 35th in the race.”
Denny Hamlin's Spin
Denny Hamlin spun into Christopher Bell during a multi-car incident, dropping him from 5th to 17th before climbing back to 6th.
“Hamlin, who had already lost out on his pole earlier on, was running 5th in the race before the spin dropped him down to 17th during the end of Stage 1.”
Bubba Wallace's Race Performance
Bubba Wallace finished eighth after starting from 15th, hoping for a top-5 finish but achieving only eighth.
“I’m happy with a eighth place finish, um, but not satisfied with just what the potential that we have.”
Bumper Physics Issues
The softened bumpers created air gaps making cars more vulnerable to contact but did not significantly improve racing safety.
“NASCAR’s new bumper got rid of the two Y-brackets and thick foam lining to create a literal air gap in the nose of the car”
Chase Standings After Martinsville
Kyle Larson leads Christopher Bell by 67 points and Denny Hamlin by 70 points heading into Homestead-Miami.
“Homestead-Miami will witness a three-way battle to win the championship, but for now, Larson leads Bell by 67 points and Hamlin by 70 points.”
Bumper Revamp Needed
Bubba Wallace urged NASCAR to revamp the soft bumpers to prevent innocent drivers from being penalized in multi-car incidents.
“So some work to do for NASCAR on that. Just my feedback, but all in all, green day, green race, and we’ll go on.”
What matters most
Bubba Wallace argues NASCAR's softened bumpers punish drivers caught in multi-car incidents they didn't cause.
