Michael Jordan sat on the top of Bubba Wallace’s pit box at Talladega with a chance to see him take victory. Wallace was up front for most of the race, and the 23XI Racing driver had himself in a prime position on the final lap to win.
Unfortunately, for Wallace, he didn’t make it around for the finish. Instead, Wallace tangled with his good friend Ryan Blaney and went into the wall. As a result, Kyle Busch won the GEICO 500 as the race ended under caution, while Blaney finished second.
Kyle Busch SURVIVES Talladega! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/CIF4qWvr3D
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) April 23, 2023
A camera was on MJ for the finish. While he didn’t seem mad at anyone, Jordan wasn’t happy either.
Heartbreak watching the finish in the No. 23 box. pic.twitter.com/x9fCasBnpk
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 23, 2023
That’s the range of emotions being an owner, a driver, or even a fan. You see your driver in the lead one second, and then they’re crashed the next. Jordan has only been a team owner for a few years, but he’s a longtime NASCAR fan so he knows all too well of that.
Both Blaney and Wallace spoke to reporters about the crash after the race. Both felt bad about what happened, though Blaney took issue with Wallace blocking him multiple times on that lap. Wallace took blame for blocking Blaney and getting wrecked, but he expected Blaney to not make his move until closer to the tri-oval on the last lap.
Wallace wound up finishing 28th.
[@NASCAR]
