Alex Bowman thought the rivalry was over. But when contact came not once, but several times during Sunday’s race, it became clear that old issues had returned. In one of the most chaotic moments of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, two drivers went head-to-head in a battle that went far beyond just finishing position.
Key Highlights
Alex Bowman says he was “demolished” by Bubba Wallace in late-race contact
The two drivers reignited tensions from their 2024 clash at the same track
Bowman’s spotter lashed out over the radio during the altercation
Alex Bowman advanced in the In-Season Tournament with an 8th-place finish
Bubba Wallace finished five laps down in 28th place
A Rivalry Rekindled on the Streets
The duel for seventh place in the final laps of the Chicago Street Race turned rough quickly. According to Alex Bowman, what began as a clean pass soon turned into a sequence of hits that pushed him into both the inside and outside walls. Bubba Wallace, who ended the race five laps down, had tangled with Alex Bowman at the same race last year. Back then, it was Bowman who wrecked Wallace—this year, the script flipped.
“I thought we had squashed our beef, but clearly we have not. So, yeah, I don’t know. I followed the 45, passed him, he ran me in the inside wall on eight. Still felt like I passed him clean. Then he absolutely just demolished me into 12. I gave it back a little bit into one and then he demolished me again into two, ran me in the outside wall and I’m just a pinball between him and the outside wall at that point,” Alex Bowman told Frontstretch.
Despite the beating, Alex Bowman walked away with an eighth-place finish, strong enough to carry him into Round 3 of the In-Season Tournament. Bubba Wallace, meanwhile, faded with damage and a tire disadvantage that rendered the rest of his day ineffective.
Bowman Questions the Aggression
While Alex Bowman acknowledged that some rubbing is racing, he questioned the wisdom of Bubba Wallace’s decisions. In his eyes, the #45 was already slipping with worn tires and had little to gain from pushing the envelope.
“I get the In-Season tournament means a lot, but at that point I’m just trying to finish the best I can. I wasn’t really thinking about that. So, I don’t know if that’s what it was about or what, but unfortunately that happened,” he added.
The crash and aggressive exchange brought back memories of their 2024 incident, when Alex Bowman had spun Bubba Wallace and then got brake-checked during the cool-down lap. The tension clearly hadn’t faded. As Bowman now shifts focus to Ty Dillon and Sonoma Raceway, questions remain whether this rivalry has truly peaked—or if more conflict lies ahead.
Kevin Hamlin Unfiltered on the Radio
Team radio told the rest of the story. Kevin Hamlin, Alex Bowman’s longtime spotter, wasn’t having any of it. As Wallace continued to bump and bash through the Chicago streets, Hamlin kept his voice sharp and explicit.
According to Steven Taranto, “Stay with it. We’re not playing nice with this motherf**er,”* was Hamlin’s on-air reaction as the incidents unfolded. The message was clear—this was not business as usual.
Alex Bowman, the reigning Chicago winner, held on for a top-10 and climbed to tenth in the standings with 480 points. Among his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and William Byron continue to dominate the top three spots in the Cup Series rankings. But Bowman’s fight on Sunday was more than just about points—it was about standing his ground.
News in Brief: Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace Clash Again
Sunday’s Chicago Street Race brought back old tension between Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace, igniting another fierce chapter in their history. With hard racing, frustrated radio chatter, and a fresh set of bruises on both cars, it was clear that Round 2 between these two was no cooler than the first. As the NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Sonoma, all eyes will be on whether the battle continues—or finally cools off.
ALSO READ: Alex Bowman Breaks Silence on Chicago Win, NASCAR Career Doubts, and HMS Rumors
