Insider reveals NASCAR will be taking ‘closer look’ at Alex Bowman, Bubba Wallace Chicago incident

For the second consecutive season, Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman found themselves in a bit of a kerfuffle at the end of the Chicago Street Race for the NASCAR Cup Series. The 23XI Racing wheelman was on the hard end of the battle once again in Illinois in 2025.

Bowman and Wallace found themselves racing for position in the top 10 in the closing laps of Sunday’s race. The two were beating and banging, looking as if either one could send the other spinning. It was Bowman who got the upper hand, sending Wallace around in Turn 2 on Lap 70. Bowman finished eighth, Wallace P28. 

While they had a conversation afterwards that seemed cordial, NASCAR might put the hammer down, according to Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic. The former revealed the sport’s governing body will be taking the magnifying glass to the wreck to see if any penalties need to be dished out.

“NASCAR will be taking a closer look at Bowman versus Bubba,” Gluck revealed, via the latest episode of The Teardown. “Yes, they will. That was what I was told. At first I was like, ‘Oh, Bowman just dumped him.’ It looked like Bowman might’ve right-reared him. Then, on another replay I saw, it was like, ‘Oh, maybe Bubba cleared himself across.’

“Bowman said he thought that he was being pinballed between the wall and Bubba, and that’s what happened. He, of course — you have to say this, I guess, either way. He said he didn’t right-rear him on purpose. So, yeah — I don’t know about that.”

It’ll be interesting to see if Bowman receives a penalty, or if NASCAR chalks it up to a racing incident. Regardless, Bianchi believes the decision from Wallace to race the Hendrick Motorsports star with such vigor was preposterous. The 23XI Racing wheelman isn’t exactly in a position to give away points, and that’s what he did by getting himself into a scuffle with Bowman.

“It was a driver in Bubba Wallace who cost himself today a lot of points,” Bianchi added. “He was fast in practice. I think he was like the fastest car, right? Then, qualifying doesn’t go his way. Does a great job, picks his way forward. Ends up with contact with Kyle Larson. Gets spun out. (Recovers for) a big points day. A day when you need — you’re in a points position where you don’t have a win and your path to playoffs is on points. He finished 28th, I think.”

“… I don’t know if it’s just in the heat of the moment. You’ve had a frustrating day and you’re getting bounced around again. That’s tough, but you have to rein that in. And it’s hard. I get that. … But he’s in a very precarious spot. There’s gonna be somebody that’s gonna pop up here outside of the (Top 16) you don’t expect. Somebody outside the cut line is gonna win a race. Then, all of a sudden he’s gonna be out, and this is the spot he’s been in for the last few years.”

Time will tell what NASCAR decides. No matter what, this doesn’t feel like the end of the rivalry between Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman. It’s certainly a duo to watch anytime they’re near each other on the track moving forward in 2025.