Talladega never disappoints, and Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 race proved it once again. Between the picture-perfect finish and some good old-fashioned driver drama, fans definitely got their money’s worth. And if you thought the action was wild on the track, wait until you hear what happened after the chequered flag dropped.
Instead of just celebrating the win, the spotlight turned to a spicy moment involving Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, and a cheeky comment from Bubba Wallace that pretty much broke the internet.
Trouble Brews at Talladega Between Austin Cindric and Joey Logano
Cindric, behind the wheel of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford Mustang, edged out Ryan Preece by just 0.022 seconds, to win the Jack Link’s 500. The two Ford Mustangs swapped the lead five times in the final few laps. It was pure Talladega chaos; the kind fans live for.
But the post-race mood shifted really quick.
Cindric’s teammate, Logano and Preece, both got disqualified after NASCAR found illegal spoiler specifications on their cars. That knocked both Preece’s and Logano’s strong top-five finishes right out of the books, handing second and third place to Hendrick Motorsports drivers Kyle Larson and William Byron.
However, the real fireworks started earlier — at the end of Stage 2 — when Cindric and Logano got tangled up in a mess of their own making. Cindric, who had been leading the middle lane, was forced to lift off the gas after Logano swooped in front of him. That move opened the door for Wallace, driving the No. 23 Toyota, who had enough momentum to zip by and steal the stage win.
To say Logano wasn’t thrilled would be an understatement. Over the radio, he absolutely lit into Cindric, dropping a few choice words and calling him a “dumb f**k” for letting a Toyota grab the win. Definitely not the kind of words you want from your teammate.
Bubba Wallace Fans the Flames
After the dust settled, Cindric stayed cool when asked about the blow up. He said challenges like these happen and admitted to not wanting to wreck Logano or anyone else and promised they’d sit down, talk it out, and come back stronger.
But just when you thought it might all blow over, Wallace decided to stir the pot a little more.
Wallace jumped onto X (formerly Twitter) and left a cheeky comment under Cindric’s celebratory post. He indirectly thanked Cindric for not pushing Logano and letting him win Stage 2, calling himself a “big fan” of Cindric. Wallace even threw in a playful jab telling Cindric not to listen to “naysayers” — calling him “perfect.”
Big AC fan in stage 2… don’t listen to the naysayers, you were perfect!😂 https://t.co/5AEMWTgQ8m
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace)
With one savage comment, Wallace cranked up the heat between Cindric and Logano. Now all eyes are on Team Penske to see if they can cool things off before the next big race rolls around.
Because if Talladega showed us anything, it’s that in NASCAR, the drama doesn’t end when the engines go quiet.