Bubba Wallace Ends 100-Race Cup Drought With Surprise Brickyard 400 Victory

Despite lingering skepticism and unwarranted fan hate, Bubba Wallace silenced his critics on Sunday, claiming his first win in over three years, kissing the bricks at Indianapolis, the Mecca of American motorsports.

After a chaotic afternoon marked by a late rain delay, two overtimes, and fuel concerns, the Alabama-born edged out Kyle Larson, creating history as the first Black driver to win at the famed 2.5-mile oval in its 116-year legacy.

Bubba Wallace Basks in Indy Glory, Stuns With Historic Brickyard Win

Wallace punched his ticket to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in grand style with a commanding win at the Brickyard 400. While Chase Briscoe’s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was arguably the fastest car on Sunday, qualifying with a pole-grabbing performance, the 23XI Racing driver kept himself in the mix, consistently running in the top 5.

Starting his day beside Briscoe from the front row, from P2, the 31-year-old took control of the race until after he pitted on Lap 119/168 during a cycle of green-flag stops early in Stage 3.

The No. 23 driver took over when his best pal Ryan Blaney pitted on Lap 142, building a cushion of over five seconds once the pit cycles completed. Although Larson gave it a run, trying to chip away at the lead, he wasn’t in a position to do so until the late-race showers came.

With 14 laps to the checkered flag, the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was trailing by 5.057 seconds, but Larson got the gap down to about three seconds with six remaining before the yellow flag came out because of rain. However, his hopes were dashed quickly as Wallace held firm out front, leading the final 26 laps with poise and precision into victory.

BUBBA WALLACE IS A WINNER AT THE BRICKYARD! pic.twitter.com/5ITVgH9m8f

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 27, 2025

The driver led 30 laps and became the second Black driver to win at Indy, the first being Lewis Hamilton, who won F1’s last race in 2007. Wallace’s Sunday triumph also snapped his 100-race winless streak, dating back to 2022, with his last win coming at Kansas Speedway.

“Oh, my gosh,” Wallace said I’m just so proud of this team. That adrenaline rush is crazy, ’cause I’m coming off that right now – and I’m worn out.” Ecstatic about his win, the driver continued, “It’s unbelievable. To win here at the Brickyard, knowing how big this race is, knowing all the noise that’s going on in the background, to set that all aside is a testament to these people here on this 23 team. It’s been getting old right around the cut line (for the playoffs).”

Race Result:

Stage 1 winner: Chase Briscoe
Stage 2 winner: Ryan Blaney