WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Bubba Wallace had one of those days Saturday at Watkins Glen International.
The Roush Fenway Racing driver, trying to make up ground on teammate and points leader Chris Buescher, lost track position early during the Zippo 200 NASCAR XFINITY Series race and battled back -- and then hit a squirrel.
The incident didn’t improve the aerodynamics of the No. 6 Ford. It did leave a bit of a mess on the front of the car.
"Yeah, I hit a squirrel," Wallace said as his team began prepping the entry for the long trip back to Concord, North Carolina. "I saw it (run out). Hit it. I knew I hit it."
Crewmen removed the remains during the team’s last pit stop.
Wallace was penalized after his first pit stop for speeding as he exited pit road on Lap 19. As a result, he had to make another trip down pit road and lost track position.
"That was my worst pit road ever," he radioed his crew afterward.
He was punished for excessive pit road speed and having too many crew members in contact with the pit service area.
He was not penalized for hitting the squirrel.
Wallace finished 16th and sits sixth in the points standings after 20 races.