Daniel Suarez and Bubba Wallace were involved in an on-track fight against each other during Wednesday’s Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. After the race, Suarez played down his on-track clash with Wallace, describing the heated moment between the two drivers as nothing more than a “misunderstanding.”

The incident occurred at the halfway point of the 200-lap NASCAR Clash, when Suarez had a run-in with Wallace. As the field slowed under caution, Suarez’s #7 car made contact with the rear of Wallace’s #23 car, a move Wallace clearly did not appreciate. In retaliation, Wallace steered the #7 car into the grass, and the two drivers exchanged middle fingers in a visible show of frustration.

From the outside, it looked like the start of a fresh rivalry at the start of a new season. But according to Suarez, the situation was far less dramatic than it appeared. In the post-race interview with

Speaking to Frontstretch’s reporter about addressing tension with Wallace, here’s what Suarez said:

“With Bubba, it was just a misunderstanding. With Bubba, it wasn’t a big deal. He doesn’t know that yet. I didn’t know the word on because they said just keep going, and I guess he slowed down, and I think he thought I was mad at him, and then he started getting crazier, and he couldn’t cool down, but I wasn’t mad at him at all. I was mad at a couple of other people but not to him.”

Daniel Suarez also had heated words for his former Trackhouse Racing teammate Shane van Gisbergen. On 97 of 200 laps, SVG ran Suarez, which the #7 didn’t like at all.

In the aforementioned interview, when asked about racing SVG aggressively, Suarez said:

“I race people the same way they race me. I love everyone. If they give me love, I give them love. If they give me hate, I give hate.”

Daniel Suarez reflects on his solid top-five finish at Bowman Gray Stadium

Daniel Suarez started his 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season with a new team, Spire Motorsports, on Wednesday at a preseason exhibition race after spending the past five seasons with Trackhouse Racing.

In his first ever race behind the wheel of the #7 Chevrolet, the 34-year-old Mexican driver showed speed and secured a fourth-place finish at Bowman Gray Stadium despite starting 20th in the 23-driver field.

Reflecting on a solid P4 result, Suarez said (via NBC Sports):

“Very proud of this No. 7 Chevrolet team. I think that the car was very, very capable of running in the top-five. In both the dry and wet conditions, I felt like we were pretty strong. Happy to come home with a top-five. I think this was a good start for everyone on his No. 7 team.”

Watch Daniel Suarez in action at Daytona International Speedway for the first points-paying race of the 2026 season, the Daytona 500, on Sunday, February 15, at 2:30 pm ET.