At the Goodyear 400 in Darlington, Ryan Blaney's chances for a playoff berth slipped yet again, following a late race caution involving Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson. During Blaney's post-race interview, the 23XI star pulled him aside for a private exchange, fueling speculation about their conversation.
With four laps left to the checkered flag, Blaney passed Tyler Reddick for the lead. Meanwhile, Wallace made contact with Larson's No. 5 Chevrolet down the backstretch. Consequently, the Hendrick Motorsports driver went for a spin, prompting a late-race caution.
In anticipation of an overtime restart, the front runners pit for fresher tires. However, the tides turned when Blaney lost his lead down the pit road to Denny Hamlin, who wheeled his No. 11 Toyota to victory lane.
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During his post-race interview, Blaney was interrupted by Wallace for a quiet exchange. In an X post, NASCAR analyst Bob Pockrass shared a clip of the moment with the following caption:
"As Ryan Blaney answered a question on whether tracking down Tyler Reddick was a tongue-hanging-out run or more methodical, Bubba Wallace came over to talk to him (presumably about the last caution where Larson slowed in front of Wallace). @NASCARONFOX"
Blaney ended up finishing fifth, marking his second top-five result of the season. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace finished down the order from his fifth-place start, at 21. Yet to secure his playoff ticket, the Team Penske driver placed seventh in the standings, one spot below the race winner, Denny Hamlin.
NASCAR insider reveals Bubba Wallace's explanation for Larson wreck
Following a second-place finish in Stage 1 at Darlington, Bubba Wallace looked to be in contention for the pinnacle spot. However, his bid for a third consecutive podium unravelled as he dropped down the order in stage two. Adding to his woes, Tyler Reddick's crash up ahead prompted an unexpected slowdown by Kyle Larson, causing Wallace to rear-end him and trigger a caution.
Reflecting upon the same, Wallace spoke to NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck post-race, stating:
"Bubba Wallace told me he didn’t think it was warranted for Larson to check up as much as he did after Reddick hit the wall but apologized for ruining Blaney’s day. He came up and whispered something in Blaney’s ear on pit road and Blaney declined to say what it was."
The Alabama native finished third in his last two races at Martinsville and Homestead-Miami. His result at the track "Too Tough to Tame" has dropped him a spot on the standings, ranking eighth. With a points haul of 233, Wallace has posted an average finish of 17.7 after eight starts and two DNFs. Meanwhile, his 23XI teammate Tyler Reddick placed two spots above at fifth.
