- Wallace claims his first win at a NASCAR crown jewel event after a 100-race drought
- Victory secures a playoff spot and ends a dramatic double-overtime finish
- Ty Gibbs wins $1 million In-Season Challenge with 21st-place result
Bubba Wallace made history on Sunday, delivering a powerful performance in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to claim his first crown jewel victory and secure a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
Wallace led 23 of the race’s 168 laps in the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota and held off a charging Kyle Larson through two tense overtime restarts. His final margin of victory was 0.222 seconds, snapping a 100-race winless streak dating back to 2022 at Kansas and giving him the third Cup Series win of his career.
“Unbelievable,” Wallace shouted over the radio after crossing the finish line. “To overcome so much and to put these people in Victory Lane, that’s what it’s all about. These people keep pushing me, believing in me. Man, just so proud.”
Wallace became the first Black driver to win a major NASCAR event on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval. It was also the first time he won one of the series’ four crown jewel races.
The result marked a major moment for 23XI Racing, co-owned by basketball legend Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, who finished third after starting at the back of the field. Kyle Larson finished second in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, followed by Ryan Preece in fourth and Brad Keselowski in fifth.
The race’s dramatic finish was shaped by a late-race rain delay and two overtimes. Wallace had built a lead of more than five seconds with 14 laps to go, but a yellow flag for rain bunched the field with four laps left. During the delay, Wallace’s team worried about fuel levels, but he stayed out.
On the first restart, Wallace beat Larson through Turn 2, but a crash behind the leaders forced another overtime attempt. Despite rising tension on the pit wall, Wallace kept his composure and once again held off Larson to take the win.
The victory also served as redemption for Wallace, who had spent most of Saturday’s qualifying session on the provisional pole before Chase Briscoe took it in the final minutes. On race day, Wallace made sure he didn’t miss his opportunity.
“It’s super emotional,” Wallace said. “I knew we had the car. I’ve messed up so many times this year, and I wasn’t going to let that happen today.”
Wallace’s win wasn’t the only prize decided Sunday. Ty Gibbs captured the $1 million purse in the final round of NASCAR’s inaugural In-Season Challenge, finishing 21st to beat Ty Dillon in the March Madness-style tournament. Dillon, the 32nd seed, finished 28th after making a surprise run to the final.
Gibbs said, “We had to stay focused on our race. The $1 million is huge, but more importantly, it was about finishing strong for the team.”
Elsewhere in the race, Joey Logano looked poised to challenge for the win with 26 laps remaining until a flat right rear tire derailed his day. Though he made it to pit road for a change, a loss of power left him unable to rejoin the front pack.
Pole-sitter Chase Briscoe won the first stage, followed by Wallace and William Byron. It marked Briscoe’s second stage win of the year, while Ryan Blaney took the second stage, his fifth of the season.
With just four races left before the playoff field is set, Wallace’s Brickyard breakthrough solidifies his position and adds a long-awaited crown jewel to his résumé. The Cup Series resumes Sunday, August 3, at Iowa Speedway.
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