DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 11: Bubba Wallace 23 23XI Racing Xfinity Toyota is being interviewed during Media Day for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 11, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 11 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 Media Day EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2602110150500
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 11: Bubba Wallace 23 23XI Racing Xfinity Toyota is being interviewed during Media Day for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 11, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 11 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 Media Day EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2602110150500
It is acknowledged across the NASCAR garage that the drivers in the Toyota camp work well together. However, Bubba Wallace has challenged this notion after his NASCAR Cup Series race in Atlanta came undone due to a fellow Toyota driver.
The 23XI driver started the Quaker State 400 in 22nd place. He was running in the top three spots in the final stage of the race, but it was during this that Ty Gibbs hit him in the back of his car, which forced him to cross the double yellow line on the inside. This resulted in a penalty for Wallace.
While talking to TNT Sports post-race, Danielle Trotta questioned Wallace about his post-race conversation with Gibbs on pit road.
"We’ll be fine," he said in a video shared by TNT on X. "He had the opportunity to give there a lot, and he didn't do that, and so when I told him that, he quickly went on the defence, said, 'Don't block'. When you hit me square in the bumper, and he just ran right into me, so yeah, that's Toyota teammates. We don't race very well together."
The penalty pushed the No. 23 driver from second place all the way down to 29th, making him lose a crucial 27 points. With only six regular-season races left, he sits in 13th place, just 55 points above the Chase cutoff.
While Wallace gave his side of the story, Ty Gibbs also spoke about what happened on the final lap.
Ty Gibbs opens up about his confrontation with Bubba Wallace
After getting out of his car, Christopher Bell walked up to Wallace to apologize on the pit road. But everyone witnessed a serious conversation between the two drivers.
Later, while talking to the media, the No. 54 Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing driver was questioned about their interaction on the pit road by Matt Weaver. In Weaver's X post, Gibbs replied:
"I went to tell him sorry because he cleared himself, and then, unfortunately, he showed a lot of disrespect. It seemed like it didn’t really work out for him. I tried to help him out there at the end and push him to win."
Ty Gibbs finished the race in fourth place. With six races to go in the regular season, he is fourth in the drivers' championship.
Whether this disagreement in Atlanta will be a one-off or will be the beginning of lingering tension in the Toyota camp is something that remains to be seen.
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Written by
Chionia Libania Colaco
Edited by
Yash Kotak