Tensions in NASCAR have been bubbling for weeks. Bubba Wallace just added fuel to the fire with a take that’s sure to divide the garage. 

Speaking with Frontstretch ahead of qualifying at Darlington, Wallace pushed back on the idea of fining drivers for fighting, instead suggesting a more old-school approach. One rooted in respect and retaliation, based on what he called “hockey rules.”

“I don’t think so,” Wallace said when asked if penalties should exist for fighting.”When you’re done wrong, it’s different for me, and I blame my dad, but also respect how he was. He was an eye-for-an-eye, right? When you’re disrespected, there’s a fine line of being a better person or making sure they don’t do that again.

As Wallace mentioned, it’s a mindset shaped by his upbringing, one that leans into accountability between drivers rather than intervention from NASCAR. In Wallace’s eyes, sometimes stepping up isn’t just personal, it’s about defending your team and sponsors.

That’s where the “hockey rules” comparison comes in. Wallace referenced the idea of letting drivers settle things physically to a point.

“Go to the ground, then you can stop it,” Wallace said. He was still acknowledging that there needs to be a boundary.

It’s a delicate balance. Still, it’s one he believes could actually prevent deeper, more dangerous resentment from building behind the scenes.

Moreover, his comments ring especially true at a time when on-track tensions are already spilling into post-race confrontations. The latest flashpoint came in Las Vegas, where Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain had a heated exchange on the cooldown lap that nearly escalated into a fight. 

While shoves were exchanged, it stopped short of punches, a trend that’s become increasingly common in the modern NASCAR era. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. offered a clear explanation for why. 

After being fined $75,000 for his own altercation with Kyle Busch last year, the financial consequences are now front of drivers’ minds in those heated moments. “Stenhouse admitted that, highlighting how penalties have effectively changed driver behavior.

Instead of throwing punches, retaliation has evolved into something more strategic and arguably more impactful. Drivers now settle scores on the track, racing each other harder, putting rivals in difficult positions and chipping away over multiple weeks. 

In today’s Next Gen car, where physical contact is more limited, that kind of long-game approach has become the new norm. But Wallace’s comments raise an interesting question as to whether NASCAR has gone too far in policing emotion.

The sport is built on intensity and personality. So, of course, the absence of physical consequences may actually be allowing tensions to fester longer than they should.

Regardless, don’t expect NASCAR to adopt “hockey rules” anytime soon. But as rivalries like Suárez vs. Chastain continues to heat up, Wallace’s perspective taps into something many fans and drivers have wondered, whether it’s better to just let them settle it.