Consistency. Ironically, that’s such a variable word in NASCAR, especially when it comes to drivers who receive penalties for similar incidents. Just think of the punishment Carson Hocevar and Bubba Wallace got for more or less the same offense.
During the recent truck race in Martinsville, Hocevar right hooked Tanner Gray mid-race. This resulted in NASCAR penalizing him with a two-lap penalty.
Bubba Wallace, on the other hand, was given a one-race suspension last year for a similar incident involving Kyle Larson, a significantly harsher penalty than young Hocevar.
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Now, it could be argued that Wallace’s punishment was both about him beating Larson in a race car and about him beating Larson outside of the race car. But the 23XI Racing driver made one thing clear after the Hocevar penalty – be consistent.
Bubba Wallace calls NASCAR over Hocevar penalty inconsistency
In an interaction with the media ahead of the Martinsville Cup race, Wallace was asked by a reporter if he saw the incident between Hocevar and Gray at the truck race and what he thought of the two-lap penalty.
“I went fishing on my weekend off… saw it, and yeah, bad deal, so talk about staying consistent, speeds don’t matter because I don’t care if it’s 180 or whatever, it always is still the right tail.” said Wallace.
Wallace also called for consistency last year
After serving his one-race suspension for the Vegas incident with Larson, Wallace returned as a man who accepted his guilt but urged the board to have the same precedent for everyone.
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“Hey, I’m good at being an example if we can push that consistently because it’s happened a number of times this year and it’s something that’s potentially going to continue to happen, you know, for other drivers in the future.” Wallace said, according to US News. “I’ve definitely learned my lesson, but we have to stick to it consistently, whether it’s here in Martinsville or in Daytona or Talladega.”
via Getty
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 16: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #45 McDonald’s Toyota, confronts Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, after an incident on track during the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 16, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
But less than a year later we are here in Martinsville, here we have a similar incident and yet the punishment was different.
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WATCH THIS STORY: Dale Earnhardt Jr. slams Bubba Wallace for “overreacting” when he pulls a “Chase Elliott.”
As a NASCAR fan, was Hocevar’s penalty acceptable to you? Or do you think they should have at least given him the Bubba Wallace treatment?