Bubba Wallace became the first Black driver to win on the historic 2.5 mile oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, capturing a dramatic Brickyard 400 victory on Sunday. The win is the third and biggest of Wallace’s NASCAR Cup Series career, snapping a 100 race winless streak that dated back to 2022.
The 23XI Racing driver had to endure a chaotic finish to secure the victory. After leading late in the race, a rain delay stopped the action with just four laps to go, forcing Wallace to sit and strategize for over 20 minutes. Following the restart, a crash forced a second overtime, pushing the race into extra laps and creating serious concerns that Wallace’s car would run out of fuel.
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Risking everything by staying on the track, Wallace expertly held off a hard charging Kyle Larson on two separate restarts to seal the win by just 0.222 seconds. “Unbelievable,” Wallace shouted on his team radio after crossing the iconic yard of bricks. The victory provides a major boost for 23XI Racing, the team co-owned by basketball hall of famer Michael Jordan and last week’s race winner, Denny Hamlin. It’s a significant triumph for the team as it continues its ongoing legal battle with NASCAR over its charter status.
