Nationwide — Bubba Wallace made history as he became the first Black driver to win a major race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval. He won the Brickyard 400 after a rain delay, two overtime restarts, and a close battle with Kyle Larson.
The win marked Wallace’s third career NASCAR Cup Series victory and his most significant yet. It snapped a 100-race winless streak dating back to 2022 and secured him a spot in the playoffs, according to CNN.
The race took a dramatic turn in the final laps. Larson was gaining fast when a yellow flag came out for rain with just four laps to go. Cars stopped on the pit lane, giving Wallace nearly 20 minutes to think through his next move.
When racing resumed, Wallace held the lead through the first restart. But another crash behind the leaders triggered a second overtime, stretching the race even further. With his team unsure if he had enough fuel, Wallace stayed out and once again held off Larson at the restart.
The win came one day after Wallace nearly secured pole position in qualifying but lost it late in the session. His Sunday comeback gave a major boost to 23XI Racing, the team co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and driver Denny Hamlin, as it continues its legal fight over NASCAR’s charter system.
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