Bubba Wallace Humbles Himself Before Kyle Larson as HMS Driver Holds Back Apology

Bubba Wallace has been a lightning rod in NASCAR, not just for his skill but for his heart-on-sleeve approach to racing. The 2025 season’s been a rollercoaster for the 23XI Racing star, with one win already under his belt and a playoff berth secured.

At the Enjoy Illinois 300, Wallace showed that in spades, leading the field with fire but also humility when things went sideways. A botched restart on Lap 155 cost him the lead, and he didn’t hesitate to ask his team to apologize to Kyle Larson, whose Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 was caught up in the shuffle.

That move stood out, especially when contrasted with Larson and teammate Chase Elliott staying mum after their own run-ins with other drivers. The Gateway race has been a wild one, with playoff pressure turning every lap into a high-stakes drama. Wallace’s moment of accountability came after he spun his tires on a restart, letting Joey Logano and Elliott slip by.

Meanwhile, Larson and Elliott’s earlier tangles with Josh Berry and Ryan Blaney stirred up tension but no apologies. Wallace’s gesture, small as it seems, speaks volumes about his character in a sport where egos can run as hot as engines.

As the 2025 playoffs charge through WWTR, the contrast between Wallace’s humility and Hendrick’s silence is sparking buzz, with Stage 2 proving he’s got the speed to back up his heart.

Wallace roars, tensions flare as Stage 2 ends

Bubba Wallace came out swinging in Stage 2 of the Enjoy Illinois 300, holding off a stacked field to grab the win and a crucial playoff point. The top 10 was a battle of heavyweights: Wallace, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, John Hunter Nemechek, and Ross Chastain.

By Lap 117, Wallace was in a league of his own, pulling away from Logano by nearly four seconds, 3.87 to be exact. That kind of gap isn’t just speed; it’s a statement. With one win already this season, a second victory here could rocket him deeper into the playoffs, giving 23XI Racing a real shot at the Championship 4.

The stage wasn’t without drama. On Lap 114, Christopher Bell surged to third, passing his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Hamlin and setting his sights on Logano. Earlier chaos set the tone: Larson’s Lap 135 misstep in Turn 4 sent Ryan Blaney spinning from fifth, a move that’s sure to leave bad blood with the Penske camp.

Back on Lap 37, Elliott nudged Josh Berry into a spin, smashing Berry’s left-front tire against the wall. Both incidents saw no apologies from the Hendrick duo, making Wallace’s earlier radio plea to say sorry to Larson stand out even more.

After spinning his tires on the Lap 155 restart, blaming a gear-shift glitch, Wallace lost the lead to Logano and saw Elliott sneak by, too. His call to apologize showed a racer owning his mistake, a sharp contrast to the silence from Larson and Elliott. Stage 2 proved Wallace can lead on and off the track, keeping his playoff hopes alive in a race where every moment counts.