The first race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 saw tempers flare amongst drivers on the track, with the highlights of South Point 400 coming in the form of Bubba Wallace Jr. and Kyle Larson coming together on the track.
Fans at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway saw the 23XI Racing driver and Hendrick Motorsports driver make contact on the track. This led to further retaliation and a heated exchange between the duo.
After Bubba Wallace Jr. won the first stage of the 400-mile-long race under the yellow flags, the #45 Toyota Camry TRD driver was running in the top 10 in the second stage. It was during this period that things started to unravel for the 29-year-old, as he battled Kevin Harvick for the position.
Kyle Larson, who decided to attack both Harvick and Wallace Jr. in the same corner, attempted a dive bomb that ended up crowding Wallace Jr. toward the wall. Harvick decided to back out of the fight for track position.
The repercussions of Larson's move came in the form of Wallace Jr. making contact with the wall, after which he decided to retaliate against the Elk Grove, California native. The front straightaway of the 1.5-mile-long track then saw Bubba Wallace Jr. clip the #5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver's rear right quarter panel, sending them both spinning out of contention.
After both drivers got out of their damaged racecars, Wallace Jr. was seen walking towards Larson, who was standing on the infield. As the Mobile, Alabama native got closer, frustrations were clear on the 23XI Racing driver's part as he decided to push and shove Larson around on the infield as a show of displeasure with how he raced on the track. Kyle Larson chose not to indulge in any further physical altercation, and both drivers walked away from each other soon after.
Bubba Wallace Jr. speaks about altercation with Kyle Larson at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Shortly after retiring from South Point 400 and being cleared from the infield care center for any potential injuries, Bubba Wallace Jr. elaborated on what instigated him to go after Kyle Larson after the duo made contact on the track. The Mobile, Alabama native spoke on whether he retaliated against Larson's previous moves on the track or not, and said:
"Cliff's (Cliff Daniels, Larson's crew chief) smart enough to know how easy these cars break, when you get shoved into the fence deliberately like he did, the steering was gone."
Watch the complete interview below:
NASCAR will go live from the Miami-Homestead Speedway next weekend for the second Round of 8 race this season.