BREAKING: Bubba Wallace Calls Out Teammate Over Radio After Contact in Final Laps at Richmond
Tempers flared late at Richmond Raceway on Sunday night as Bubba Wallace voiced frustration over the team radio after a tense on-track incident with his 23XI Racing teammate during the final laps of the Toyota Owners 400.
With just five laps remaining and both drivers battling for a top-10 finish, contact occurred between Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota and the No. 45 machine of Tyler Reddick, sending Wallace up the track and out of contention.
Wallace would finish 17th after the dust settled — and he wasn’t shy about sharing his thoughts.
“What the hell was that?” Wallace barked over the radio. “He’s my teammate — he knows better than that. That’s not how we race each other.”
While the contact appeared minor, the loss of track position proved costly in a race dominated by tire strategy and track position. The incident also reignited questions about intra-team communication and chemistry at 23XI Racing, which has seen both Wallace and Reddick perform well this season but occasionally clash on the track.
Crew chief Bootie Barker quickly attempted to calm Wallace down on the radio, urging him to focus on bringing the car home, while team owner Denny Hamlin declined to comment immediately after the race.
In the post-race media pen, Wallace remained composed but admitted he was “disappointed.”
“Look, we’re all out there racing hard, I get that,” Wallace said. “But with five to go and us both needing points, I expected a little more room — especially from the other car in the same shop.”
Reddick, who finished 9th, was diplomatic in his response.
“We were racing tight, and I didn’t mean to get into him,” he said. “I’ll talk to Bubba about it. Last thing I want is for something like that to affect the team dynamic.”
With both drivers in the playoff hunt, 23XI Racing will now look to reset ahead of next weekend’s race at Martinsville. But fans and insiders alike will be watching closely to see if the Richmond run-in leaves lingering tension in the garage.
