Bubba Wallace wins thrilling Brickyard 400 on Indy’s oval
Bubba Wallace made history at the Brickyard 400 by winning on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval. He is now the first Black driver ever to win a major race on the iconic track.
The victory was not easy. Wallace faced a late rain delay, two overtimes, and almost ran out of fuel. He held off a strong challenge from Kyle Larson to seal the win on Sunday.
Victory ends Wallace’s long winless streak
This was Wallace’s third NASCAR Cup win—and the most important of his career. His last victory came in 2022 at Kansas, with his first in 2021 at Talladega.
His Brickyard win broke a 100-race drought. It also marked his first win at one of NASCAR’s four biggest races, known as the “crown jewel” events.
“Unbelievable,” Wallace shouted on his radio as he crossed the finish line.
Wallace stayed calm under race pressure
With 14 laps to go, Wallace had a lead of just over 5 seconds. That lead began to shrink, especially when rain caused a late yellow flag. As the cars stopped on pit lane, Wallace had 20 minutes to think about how to stay ahead.
After the restart, a crash behind the leaders caused another delay. His team worried about fuel, but Wallace took a big risk and stayed on the track.
That decision paid off. He beat Larson again after the final restart, stopping the defending champ from winning back-to-back Brickyard races.
23XI Racing gets a big boost from Wallace’s win
The win was also a boost for 23XI Racing, the team co-owned by basketball legend Michael Jordan and NASCAR star Denny Hamlin. The team is currently involved in a legal dispute with NASCAR over charter rights.
Wallace had been frustrated during qualifying on Saturday. He spent most of the session on the provisional pole, only to be beaten late by Chase Briscoe. But he made up for that disappointment in a big way on Sunday.
Wallace’s triumph at Indy is a proud moment not just for him, but for his team, his fans, and NASCAR as a whole.
