Dale Earnhardt Jr. shuts down the controversy surrounding Bubba Wallace

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently opened up about the controversial theory surrounding 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace and Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson. The duo was involved in an accident during the Throwback Weekend at Darlington Speedway on Sunday.

During the latest episode of the "Dale Jr. Download" podcast, Earnhardt Jr. sat down with The Athletic reporter Jordan Bianchi to discuss the scenario. The HMS driver wrecked his car during the fourth lap of the race but returned to the track after repairs. However, during the final stage of the race, with four laps to go, Wallace bumped into Larson, ending his day.

Kyle Larson's fans believed the #23 Toyota Camry XSE driver acted intentionally to change the race's outcome. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a different perspective and explained:

"I've watched it over and over, and I'm like, he's a long way from Reddick. I wonder why he powered down so hard? He just, you know, middle of one and two, just kind of went by Bubba. So he knows Bubba's right on his right rear, full steam. So that was surprising. Everybody was like, 'Oh, Bubba did it on purpose,' but he did not." [26:23]

Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing finished the 297-lap race in P21, earning 25 points. In contrast, Kyle Larson from Hendrick Motorsports finished in 37th place in his #5 Chevy Camaro ZL1 behind Josh Berry, earning just a single point.

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NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team to change font for their iconic #8 Chevy

Earlier this month, two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. decided to change the font of his #8 Chevy in NASCAR's second-tier series. Dale Jr. became involved in a dispute with renowned NFL quarterback Lamar Jackson. The team announced the change from the 2019 font to the former NASCAR team Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI)-style font for this season.

Coincidentally, Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson and JR Motorsports' Chevy share the same number. Reflecting on this, Lamar pointed out that sharing the same number and font with the NASCAR team might confuse fans and ultimately affect his merchandise sales.

The 50-year-old Kannapolis native Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed his desire to avoid any unwanted conflict with Lamar Jackson. Earnhardt Jr. also claimed he secured the rights to the DEI #8 font, stating:

"Through the USPTO, we successfully secured the rights to the stylized (#8). Therefore, we will be moving away from the original (#8) we have used since 2019."

"We are looking forward to the remainder of an already successful season," he added.

The #8 number holds a deep history with the Earnhardt family, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. had also driven the number during his tenure with DEI before moving to Hendrick Motorsports, where he piloted the #88 Chevy. Currently, Sammy Smith drives the #8 Chevy Camaro SS for JR Motorsports.