Hamlin says appealing Wallace’s Chicago fine is unlikely

Denny Hamlin indicated Saturday that 23XI Racing will not appeal the fine issued to Bubba Wallace this week for his display of frustration after the race last weekend in Chicago.

Wallace was fined $50,000 by NASCAR for hitting Alex Bowman on the cool-down lap after the Grant Park 165. The team has until Monday to appeal the penalty.

“I think from the team’s standpoint, I don’t believe there will be any appeals,” co-owner Hamlin said at Pocono Raceway. “It’s a learning moment you try not to repeat.”

Wallace and Bowman, who were fighting for the bubble spot on the NASCAR Cup Series playoff grid entering last weekend’s event, made contact during the Chicago race that resulted in Wallace spinning off Bowman’s bumper. The incident happened on lap 25 coming off Turn 2.

During the mid-race red flag for rain, Bowman said he tried to apologize via text and phone call but never got through. Bowman apologized again in his post-race television interview and said he didn’t think Wallace should be penalized for the contact.

Bowman went on to win the race in Chicago. Wallace finished 13th. Afterward, Wallace ran into the right side of Bowman’s car, which was shown live on the NBC Sports broadcast.

“It’s a judgment call and that’s the explanation that they (NASCAR) gave the team,” Hamlin said. “More than likely, we’ve seen these things happen in other sports where the camera’s on you live, not a cutaway where you’d say, ‘Oh, by the way, this happened after the checkered.’ I think it being live and everyone seeing it probably caused a little more of a social media uproar…then they responded to that.”