"The system’s fault": Bubba Wallace blames NASCAR for creating win at all costs mentality for drivers

Bubba Wallace recently shared his take on who was to blame for incidents such as the one involving Austin Dillon, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin at Richmond. Dillon wrecked Logano and Hamlin in a matter of seconds on the last lap of the previous Sunday's race to win and make his way into the playoffs.

However, NASCAR found his means to the end as crossing a line and eventually handed Dillon a penalty that had him keep his win but took away his playoff eligibility.

During a media session ahead of Michigan, the 23XI Racing driver was asked whether Austin Dillon's was a product of 'win and you are in' mentality. Bubba Wallace claimed it starts all the way from the beginning, during the media day at Daytona in February when drivers are asked what they can do to win a race.

This prompted another question towards Wallace's way, this time asking the reason behind the mentality, to which he replied:

“The system’s fault. They created this system where you put it on the line, but at the same time, we always say will you wreck your mother to win? Of course, yeah. (laughter) No, you wouldn’t. I wouldn’t. You do everything in your power under the respectful line to win the race. Now people want to relate (Joey) Logano and (Martin) Truex at Martinsville the same as what happened to Richmond. Who are these people? He moved him out of the way, knocked him out of the groove, and they drag raced to the line." [8:50]

Bubba Wallace weighs in on whether Austin Dillon should've been suspended by NASCAR

Considering Bubba Wallace was suspended for right-hooking Kyle Larson in 2022, and Chase Elliott was as well for his incident with Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace was asked whether a suspension was warranted for Austin Dillon instead of the penalty which was.

"Retaliation is retaliation, so if we are going to set the line there, then yeah, but myself and Chase (Elliott) were in the middle of the race. This one was different. In the same category as retaliation, so I think not being a Playoff eligible win – we go through the points and money stuff – that somewhat nets out the same. Kinda,” he said. [7:50]

Speaking further on this subject to the media, Wallace claimed "it is nuts" how certain incidents can be related to one and the other. He said that one has to remember where they came from, what it took to get where they are, and what they had to go through to earn the respect of people.

He recalled his own time in the Truck Series when he had to 'race harder' because he was a rookie. But Bubba Wallace claimed that things change, one starts to move up the ranks, and earn more respect as the cycle resets.

Wallace said that once a driver gets to the Cup level, the cycle resets again, and from that point on, it is more dependent on the driver than the others.

"You have to earn and respect your way in the Cup level, because at the end of the day it is a self-policing field. If the officials don’t take care of you, we know how to take care of you," Wallace added. [10:30]

Wallace has had some decent outings in his last two races, finishing fourth at the Cook Out 400 and fifth at the Brickyard 400. The 30-year-old is currently 12th in the overall Cup Series standings with 587 points to his name.