Bubba Wallace makes history with Brickyard 400 win at Indy

Jul 28, 2025 at 09:23 AM CDT

William Jackson, Craig Nigrelli

Bubba Wallace became the first Black driver to win a major race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s iconic oval with his victory in the Brickyard 400 on Sunday. The 31-year-old outlasted defending champion Kyle Larson in a double-overtime finish, snapping a 100-race winless streak and securing his third career NASCAR Cup Series win. — Image credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Summary

Historic win

Bubba Wallace became the first Black driver to win a major race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s oval with his Brickyard 400 victory.

High-stakes finish

Wallace held off Kyle Larson in a double-overtime battle, overcoming rain delays, fuel worries and crowd pressure to clinch the win.

Fan reaction

Though met with boos during the race, Wallace celebrated with his son as cheers erupted from the crowd at victory lane.

Full story

Bubba Wallace became the first Black driver to win a major race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s iconic oval with his Brickyard 400 victory on Sunday, July 27. The 31-year-old outlasted defending champion Kyle Larson in a double-overtime finish, snapping a 100-race winless streak and securing his third career NASCAR Cup Series win.

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Wallace had previously won at Talladega in 2021 and Kansas in 2022, but Sunday marked his first win in one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events.

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The win also clinched a playoff berth and marked a milestone for 23XI Racing, co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. The final margin was 0.222 seconds after Wallace held off Larson through back-to-back restarts and navigated the risk of running out of fuel late in the race.

How did Wallace overcome late-race challenges?

Wallace was leading with four laps to go when a rain delay temporarily halted the race. After a brief pause, a crash behind the leaders triggered a second overtime. Despite concerns about fuel, Wallace’s team chose not to pit. He beat Larson again on the final restart to secure the win. Wallace said the final laps tested his focus and self-belief.

“I want to win this straight up. I want to go back racing,” he said post-race. “So to beat the best, we had to be the best today.”

How did the crowd respond?

Wallace initially drew boos from the crowd as he battled Larson, a fan favorite. But after crossing the finish line and celebrating with his son, the grandstands shifted. Cheers broke out as Wallace raised his infant in victory lane.

@nascaronfox
First win as a dad for @Bubba Wallace. What a moment. #Brickyard400 #NASCAR #Indy
♬ Inspirational – neozilla

“Maybe I gained a fan. Maybe I lost a fan today, and that’s OK,” he said. “I’m sitting here a Brickyard 400 winner … I’m winning at life.”

What else happened during the race?

Ty Gibbs won the $1 million In-Season Challenge despite finishing 21st. Multiple contenders, including Joey Logano, Austin Cindric and Erik Jones, exited early due to tire failures or crashes.

Officials moved the race start earlier in the day to avoid storms, but a brief rain delay still impacted the final laps.

Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon and others failed to finish, while Denny Hamlin placed third and Ryan Preece finished fourth.

NASCAR heads next to Iowa Speedway for another round of Cup Series action.

William Jackson

William is a producer at Straight Arrow News, located in Omaha, Nebraska.

Craig Nigrelli is an anchor and reporter for Straight Arrow News.

Tags: Racing

craig nigrelli

A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ON THE NASCAR CIRCUIT.

BUBBA WALLACE BECAME THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN DRIVER TO WIN A MAJOR RACE AT THE ICONIC INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY.

WALLACE HELD OFF DEFENDING CHAMP KYLE LARSON TO WIN THE BRICKYARD 400 ON SUNDAY.

AND HE CELEBRATED IN STYLE, KISSING THE **YARD OF BRICKS** ON THE SPEEDWAY’S LEGENDARY 2.5 MILE OVAL.

THE FINISH WAS A NAIL-BITER… JUST .22 SECONDS SEPARATED THE TWO DRIVERS, IN A RACE THAT INCLUDED AN 18-MINUTE RAIN DELAY AND LAST-LAP FUEL DRAMA.

WALLACE SAID AFTER THE RACE – ” I KNEW I WAS GOING TO GET THERE – UNLESS WE RAN OUT OF GAS.”

BEFORE WE HEAD OUT, HERE’S WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY:

VICE PRESIDENT J.D. VANCE HEADS TO CANTON, OHIO AT NOON TO PROMOTE THE ADMINISTRATION’S NEW TAX CUT AND SPENDING BILL.

IN TEXAS, LAWMAKERS MEETING AT 6 THIS EVENING IN ARLINGTON TO HEAR PUBLIC FEEDBACK ON CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING.

AND TONIGHT IN L-A, THE RED CARPET ROLLS OUT FOR THE STAR-STUDDED PREMIERE OF THE NAKED GUN REMAKE — WITH LIAM NEESON, PAMELA ANDERSON, WEIRD AL, AND BUSTA RHYMES ALL EXPECTED TO ATTEND.

Why this story matters

Bubba Wallace's victory at the Brickyard 400 marks a historic milestone as he becomes the first Black driver to win a major race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval, highlighting progress in NASCAR and drawing attention to competition, challenges and diversity in the sport.

Historic milestone

Wallace’s achievement as the first Black driver to win a major race on Indianapolis' oval is significant for representation and diversity in motorsports.

Competition and strategy

The race was defined by intense competition, including an overtime finish, weather-related delays, and fuel management challenges, which Wallace and his team overcame to secure the win.

Playoff and team implications

Wallace’s win secured a NASCAR playoff berth and delivered a boost for 23XI Racing, owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, which remains active in NASCAR's competitive and business landscape.

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Behind the numbers

Bubba Wallace won the Brickyard 400 by 0.222 seconds over Kyle Larson, ending a 100-race winless streak. The race was 160 laps (400 miles) and faced an 18-minute rain delay with two overtime finishes.

Community reaction

Local racing communities, Wallace’s supporters and 23XI Racing fans widely celebrated the historic win, viewing it as both a milestone for diversity in motorsports and a boost for Wallace and his team heading into the NASCAR playoffs.

Context corner

The Brickyard 400 is one of NASCAR's four crown jewel races with a tradition of winners kissing the bricks at the finish line, a practice that began in 1996. The Indianapolis track carries deep significance in American motorsports culture.

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Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left frame Bubba Wallace’s Brickyard 400 victory as a historic racial milestone and a breakthrough for Black athletes, employing identity-focused language like “first Black winner” and emphasizing his team ownership and legal battles, thereby infusing the narrative with social and cultural significance.
Not enough unique coverage from media outlets in the center to provide a bias comparison.
Media outlets on the right adopt a restrained, fact-driven tone, simply noting Wallace’s achievement without adjectives or emotive framing, which de-emphasizes racial or political undertones.

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Media landscape

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Key points from the Left

Bubba Wallace won the Brickyard 400, becoming the first Black driver to win a major race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval.
Wallace's victory marks his third NASCAR Cup win, ending a 100-race winless streak dating back to 2022 at Kansas.
Kyle Larson was close behind but was unable to secure his second consecutive Brickyard win, finishing after a late rain delay and overtime.
The win qualifies Wallace for the playoffs and boosts his team, 23XI Racing, co-owned by Michael Jordan.

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Key points from the Center

The 2025 Brickyard 400 NASCAR Cup Series race took place on July 27 at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval for the 29th running of the event.
The race resumed at the oval after a three-year hiatus during which the series raced on the track's road course from 2021 to 2023, with Chase Briscoe securing pole and leading a Toyota sweep of the top five starters.
Defending champion Kyle Larson was among the leading favorites, while Denny Hamlin suffered a crash during qualifying and was forced to start at the back in a backup car; additionally, the race marked the conclusion of the inaugural In-Season Challenge, featuring a $1 million prize for the winner.
Briscoe was +700 to win and-120 for a top-five finish, William Byron led betting odds at +450, and drivers Ty Gibbs and Ty Dillon contested the In-Season Challenge as longshots.
The race impacted the playoff standings with five regular season races remaining and highlighted the chance for an upset by a non-playoff driver like Ty Gibbs.

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Key points from the Right

No summary available because of a lack of coverage.

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