Bubba Wallace was suspended for 'dangerous' act towards Kyle Larson at Las Vegas

Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson were involved in a notable incident at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2022, with Wallace being suspended for his actions

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Last week, NASCAR drivers Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson saw their seasons take divergent paths, with Wallace knocked out in the Round of 12 Playoffs while Larson sailed through with a second-place finish in Charlotte.

Now, the NASCAR Cup Series is set to return to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this Sunday for the 2025 South Point 400. Back in 2022, Wallace and Larson were embroiled in a significant incident that led to a one-race suspension for Wallace.

Wallace, who clinched the 2025 Brickyard 400, was leading the 2022 race - Stage 2 of the Round of 8 playoffs - in Las Vegas for 29 laps and even won Stage 1. During lap 94, turn 4, Larson nudged Wallace into the wall, causing Wallace to bounce back and send Larson spinning around the track. Christopher Bell also got tangled up in the incident. It comes as Wallace' has a two-word message to Denny Hamlin as their feud continues.

A visibly upset Wallace confronted Larson on the infield turf, arms raised in confusion. After a brief verbal exchange, the 23XI driver pushed Larson, who didn't fight back, several times.

Wallace was slapped with a one-race suspension for his conduct, a decision that Michael Jordan and 23XI Racing chose not to appeal. Initially perceived as a suspension due to reckless driving, a NASCAR spokesperson clarified it was primarily because of his behavior.

"When we look at how that incident occurred, in our minds, (it was) really a dangerous act that we thought was intentional and put other competitors at risk,'' a NASCAR spokesperson told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio post-incident.

Post-race, Wallace expressed regret for letting his team down while also voicing frustration towards Larson.

"[I got] shoved in the fence, deliberately [by Kyle Larson], trying to force me to lift - the steering was gone, and he just so happened to be there," he began. "He never cleared me. I don't lift.

"I know I'm kind of new to running up front, but I don't lift. I wasn't even in a spot to lift, he never lifted either, and now we are junk.

"I hate it for our team. We had a super-fast car - not on short-run speed, we were kind of falling back there, and [Kyle] Larson wanted to make it a three-wide dive bomb."

Larson empathized with Wallace's grievances.

"I got in low, got loose and chased it up a bit, and he got up to my right front and got tight," the 2021 Cup Series champion explained. "I knew he was going to retaliate. He had a reason to be mad, but his race wasn't over until he retaliated. Just aggression turned into frustration."

Larson is currently in third place in the playoff field, four points ahead of Bell for the top-four cut line.