Chase Elliott opposes NASCAR's decision to fine Bubba Wallace $50,000 for Chicago post-race incident

Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott believes that the penalty levied upon Bubba Wallace for his Chicago post-race incident was unwarranted. Wallace was issued a $50,000 fine for ramming his car into race-winner Alex Bowman's No. 48 Chevy during the cool-down lap.

The NASCAR race at the Chicago Street Course was special for Alex Bowman and Hendrick Motorsports. However, the celebrations were marred by an altercation with 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace.

During the cool-down lap, Bowman had already lowered his window net and loosened his belts when Wallace, frustrated with an earlier incident involving Bowman, turned hard-left into Bowman’s car, pushing the No. 48 Chevrolet into the wall and briefly lifting its right-front tire off the pavement.

In response to Wallace's actions, NASCAR fined the 30-year-old driver $50,000. The sanction was intended to address the safety concerns and the unsportsmanlike conduct displayed post-race.

Reflecting on the situation that also involved his HMS teammate, Hendrick Motorsports ace Chase Elliott recently voiced his opinion on the matter. Speaking to Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, he said:

"I haven’t studied Bubba’s situation in great detail, but I personally view it from what I have seen quite a bit differently, in my opinion."

"I don’t really think he should have been fined. I understand. I get it, but man you’re getting in the weeds with some of that stuff. Nobody was hurt and it was unfortunate, I guess, just the circumstances and Alex having won the race and things of that nature. But I didn’t see it to be a huge deal," he explained.

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Daniel Suarez comments on incident with Chase Elliott

The controversy extends beyond just Wallace and Bowman. Chase Elliott himself was involved in a separate incident on the same cool-down lap with Daniel Suarez.

The two drivers were competing for a top-15 finish when Elliott and Suarez collided, resulting in Suarez finishing 13th and Elliott 21st. However, unlike Wallace, Elliott did not receive a fine for his actions, leading to questions about consistency in NASCAR's disciplinary actions.

Here's what Daniel Suarez told journalist Kelly Crandall while reflecting on the situation.

"He was trying to hit me under caution a few times but he never made contact with me. So it’s a delicate situation because what happens if I wasn’t paying attention and I was getting hit. He was going to get fined?"

He added:

"Just because I was paying attention and didn’t get hit, he’s not getting a fine? That’s a little bit tricky. I think that’s a very big penalty to pay $50,000 for hitting somebody. I’m not saying that Chase should have got fined, I don’t think he should have, but it’s a big fine."

Despite the incident and his poor finish, Chase Elliott finds himself ranked second in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. Courtesy of his infamous Texas win, Elliott has 660 points to his name.