The 2025 Chicago Street Race delivered more than just high-speed thrills—it sparked controversy, accountability, and renewed pressure on Bubba Wallace’s NASCAR season. On Lap 64, a pivotal collision between Wallace and Alex Bowman unfolded as Wallace defended his position in seventh. The result was costly: Wallace spun out, dropping to a disappointing 28th-place finish. However, what followed added a surprising twist. In a rare display of honesty and accountability, Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, publicly shouldered the blame. Speaking on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Kraft admitted, “I didn’t give Bubba the info he needed,” revealing his late call failed to alert Wallace of Bowman’s approach.
Social media lit up with debate. Some fans criticized Wallace’s aggressive racing earlier in the race—he had made contact with Bowman three times prior—while others pointed to Kraft’s error as the root cause. Bowman, who emerged from the chaos to secure a sixth-place finish, received support from Denny Hamlin, who emphasized that “Bubba wasn’t clear” when the contact happened.
For Wallace, the timing couldn’t be worse. With zero wins this season and sitting 13th in points, his playoff hopes are on the bubble. Every mistake—whether his or his team’s—is magnified under the spotlight. As the series heads to Sonoma, Wallace finds himself needing more than speed; he needs clean, strategic races and perhaps, redemption. In a sport where fractions of a second matter, so do words—and Kraft’s admission may have added just enough clarity to shift the narrative.
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