Yahoo Lifestyle Bumper Bubba Wallace gave Michael McDowell after Bristol crash will be auctioned off for charity
Michael McDowell is going to raise some money for charity with the gift that Bubba Wallace gave him.
McDowell crashed Wallace out of Wednesday night’s All-Star Race qualifier. A frustrated Wallace then left the front bumper of his car at McDowell’s team hauler.
Friday, McDowell’s team announced that the bumper would be auctioned off to benefit Motor Racing Outreach, a charitable organization that serves those in the NASCAR garage on race weekends.
"Everyone has an opinion of what happened," McDowell said in the release announcing the auction. "I have my side of things, Bubba has his and all of the fans have theirs, too. It's one of the reasons NASCAR wanted to go to Bristol for the All-Star race. We created the excitement and now fans can make a difference and own a piece of history."
It’s pretty clear that McDowell’s car turned left on the straightaway to hook Wallace. You can judge for yourself if that was an intentional act or just a mistake from a professional race car driver. Wallace had bumped McDowell seconds earlier when he made a pass for position.
"What a joke he is." @BubbaWallace on @Mc_Driver. pic.twitter.com/3l2RIloWqH
— NASCAR Alerts (@NASCAR_Alerts) July 15, 2020
“People say he’s one of the nicest guys in the garage, can’t wait for the God-fearing text that he’s going to send me about preaching and praise and respect,” Wallace told Fox after the race “What a joke he is.”
Wallace does not, however, believe the auction is a joke. He supported the idea on social media.
When life gives you lemons, auction them off and raise money for @FollowMRO. May not agree to what happened on track, but we can agree on a positive outcome from the situation. https://t.co/F8cyXdjEmv
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) July 17, 2020
Wallace was a contender to make the All-Star Race either with a stage win in the qualifying race or via the fan vote, a vote that he led when NASCAR released the in-progress results ahead of the race. But since his car was destroyed in the crash he was ineligible to get voted into the main event won by Chase Elliott.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
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