Following Tyler Reddick’s out-of-nowhere win over the weekend at the 2023 Hollywood Casino 400, Bubba Wallace once again tossed himself into the deep end with his online haters by calling Reddick a “mental case,” which he claims was just a jab at a friend.
In his light-hearted post-race comment, Wallace celebrated the bond between the two racers, jokingly calling his fellow racer “a little mental case” but lauding him for securing a win. Wallace’s remark also poked fun at his own racing approach, given his past scrutiny in the sport.
It only took a few moments afterwards though for NASCAR fans on the social media platform X to accuse Wallace of being “insensitive” to those with mental health issues, as well as finding the joke “inappropriate.”
There is a lot to criticize about Bubba Wallace, but the same NASCAR fans who have been calling him a snowflake for years seem to be letting their feelings run amok and take a joke out of context.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnVaeX2waJs
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Wallace responded to the online anger directed at him and in regular Bubba fashion, continued to stoke those fires a little bit more just for the heck of it.
“Dawh bubba can’t pick on his friends in interviews,” he posted mockingly followed by two crying emojis just to rub it in with an appropriate GIF to boot.
Dawh bubba can’t pick on his friends in interviews. 😫😠pic.twitter.com/9rLVNWfr43
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) September 11, 2023
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In a dramatic finish at the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Kansas Speedway, Tyler Reddick clinched victory at Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400, narrowly outpacing Joe Gibbs Racing driver and 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin. The defining moment came when a tire malfunction on Chris Buescher’s car triggered the race’s ninth and final caution. This allowed Reddick to surge ahead from the bottom lane and capture the win.
The day wasn’t without its share of misfortunes. Regular Season Champion Martin Truex Jr. suffered an early setback with a cut tire, resulting in his withdrawal from the race.
Similarly, Bubba Wallace’s playoff hopes took a hit after a blown tire incident, finishing the race five laps down. The stage is now set for the upcoming Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, where the tension will mount as four drivers face potential elimination.
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