Bubba Wallace parked for 1 race by NASCAR for dust-up with Kyle Larson at Las Vegas

Bubba Wallace has been suspended by NASCAR for this Sunday’s race at Homestead, a penalty for apparently wrecking Kyle Larson at Las Vegas — and at high speed.

It's a bit surprising, but maybe shouldn't be, given the current climate.

NASCAR said the suspension wasn’t triggered by Wallace confronting and shoving Larson after the two drivers climbed from their cars in the aftermath, but for what happened on the track.

“When we look at how that incident occurred, in our minds, really a dangerous act that we thought was intentional and put other competitors at risk,” NASCAR’s chief operating officer, Steve O’Donnell, said on SiriusXM radio Tuesday.

What triggered Bubba Wallace's reaction at Vegas

Larson and Bubba tangled on Lap 94 at Vegas, as Larson made an aggressive pass to Bubba’s inside through turns 3 and 4. Larson couldn’t hold his line coming out of Turn 4 and “ushered” Bubba’s Toyota into a brush with the outside wall.

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Bubba’s car immediately thereafter bee-lined to Larson’s right-rear quarterpanel and both drivers’ days were done due to the accident. Worse yet, the crash also gathered the No. 20 Toyota of Christopher Bell, who happens to be a playoff driver but a playoff driver now in trouble because of going behind the wall after the Vegas mess.

Bell paid a playoff price, and Bubba is paying a price of his own.

NASCAR's suspension seems guided by current Next Gen issues

Anyone surprised by this hasn’t been paying attention to the 2022 landscape.

Long story short: If this had happened a year ago, Bubba would likely be looking at a fine, tops.

Since Sunday, there's been a lot of back and forth about Bubba's actions and how NASCAR should react. Many, or maybe even most, point to previous incidents with other racers and how they were punished — and sometimes not.

Few of the previous penalties and lack thereof didn't happen in a vacuum, and they must be viewed within the context of the current lay of the land. And the current landscape houses two frontline drivers — Kurt Busch and Alex Bowman — sidelined by head injuries suffered in recent crashes.

Some previous on-track, high-speed crashes, when deemed purposeful, didn't have that backdrop. Some, you may remember, came a dozen years ago after NASCAR's decree to "Have at it, boys." Lots of official eyeballs were diverted after lots of give and take. Wow, that was 12 years ago?

Bubba's Monday apology focused on his actions once he crawled out of his car and took off after Larson. He'll presumably hold to the line that the dive-bombing of Larson's right-rear quarter-panel was unintentional due to a loss of steering. Smart, if this were a courtroom, but it’s not and the alibi won’t fly.

To be seen as purposely wrecking a competitor at this point in time, for any reason, especially at high speed, is different than it would've been in earlier years, before the Next Gen car and harder hits than the drivers say they’ve ever experienced in a NASCAR vehicle.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Bubba Wallace suspended for 1 race by NASCAR after Kyle Larson episode