Taking one for the other team.
Seeing acts of sportsmanship like this seems more and more rare in the modern era of sports. But in NASCAR, where drivers race underneath larger motorsport teams, it’s not uncommon for a pit crew to give a helping hand to a car that’s under the same team umbrella.
That’s what happened last night at the Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. Bubba Wallace, the driver of the No. 23 car (23XI Racing Toyota), was trying to leave pit lane when he lost his front right tire. Many NASCAR fans were quick to blame the recent “one lug nut” redesign for the next-gen cars, but regardless, Wallace was on three wheels and well past his pit stop.
So Chase Briscoe’s No. 19 pit crew (Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) stepped in.
As Bubba’s missing tire rolled around with reckless abandon, the No. 19 pit crew – a Toyota teammate – decided to get the No. 23 car back on track. They tracked down the tire that had come loose, jacked up Bubba’s car, quickly placed the tire back where it belongs, and sent Wallace on his way… because that’s what sports are all about.
NASCAR posted the official clip of the rare but not unprecedented event, and did a good job predicting how Bubba Wallace’s team might pay back Chase Briscoe and his N0. 19 pit crew:
“The No. 23 team owes the No. 19 team a steak dinner for this.”
I’d say a steak dinner would suffice.
Both Chase Briscoe and Bubba Wallace failed to crack the top 10, but their involvement in this pro-sportsmanship scenario arguably stole the show (No. 3 driver Austin Dillon ultimately came out victorious). Racing fans online couldn’t get over the fact that the No. 19 pit crew didn’t really hesitate to help another driver that was in need:
Now that’s sportsmanship.
— Christopher (@HecksArtificers) August 17, 2025
Dude these crew members in NASCAR are something else
— Chad M. (@ChadriqueMN) August 17, 2025
This is Great Sportsmanship like the good O days. Definitely a great meal. 👍
— Gordon Hamrick (@GordonHamrick) August 17, 2025
Days Of Thunder in reallife!
— Jerrell V Cooper (@JVC1103) August 17, 2025
F1 could never
— KOKOLOYO (@Kokoloyoo) August 17, 2025
Idk why but I love when this happens
— Boogity4113 (@Boogity4113) August 17, 2025
To be clear, a lot of social media users questioned the legality of the move, and even said that Bubba Wallace shouldn’t have been helped… but let’s focus on the positives this time around, shall we?
And I will agree with social media on this one. The whole “pit crew helping a driver that’s not their own” situation was a bit reminiscent of the iconic Days of Thunder scene where two pit crews work together to get Tom Cruise’s Cole Trickle back out on the track:
