Did Bubba Wallace silence the doubters with his victory Sunday at the Brickyard 400?
No. They will never be silenced, but only one of those doubters matters.
And that’s Wallace himself.
Bubba Wallace celebrates at the yard of bricks after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400
A driver who has made no secret about his difficulty handling the pressures of NASCAR Cup Series racing, Wallace admitted he had those doubts near the end of the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — a race that is considered by many as one of the sport’s crown jewel events.
“I’ll say those last 20 laps, there was ups and downs of telling myself, ‘You’re not going to be able to do it,’” Wallace said. “I hate that I’m that way.”
Wallace rode a 100-race winless streak into Indianapolis, and the win was the third of his Cup career. It was his first in a regular-season race and it vaulted him into the playoffs. He signed a contract extension late last season and knows that the expectations are for him to win since he’s driving for Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan.
Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI Racing, kiss the yard of bricks after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400
“Not being able to do it for almost three years, you really start to doubt yourself and wonder like, ‘Is this it? After the contract’s up, is this it?’” Wallace said.
“I’ve still got a couple years left, but hopefully this gives me another year at least.”
The 31-year-old Wallace, whose son was born 10 months ago, has seemed to have a more balanced mindset this year. That’s a mindset that doesn’t let the frustrations of a bad performance (or a performance that didn’t match the capability of the car) eat at him throughout the week.
But make no mistake, having not won in nearly three years had to gnaw at Wallace.
His teammate, Tyler Reddick, won the regular-season title and was one of the four championship finalists last year. Wallace failed to make the playoffs.
An exhausted Bubba Wallace celebrates with his son Becks after winning the Brickyard 400
Any driver who is on a 100-race winless streak will certainly face criticism about whether they still deserve a job. Wallace, as the only Black driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, gets scrutinized more about whether being Black helps him keep a ride. For context, as a woman, Danica Patrick faced similar criticism when she raced in NASCAR.
“Does anybody know where the goal post got moved to now?” Wallace said after the race. “Did it get moved yet? [My win] is rigged?”
Wallace has competed in Cup for eight seasons. In most pro sports, competing at the top level for that length of time would be considered a solid career. But in NASCAR, drivers are judged by wins and championships and any who can’t remain in contention on a weekly basis get labeled as mediocre talent.
FINAL LAPS: Bubba Wallace wins Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Wallace has never rattled off the wins that would make someone look at him as a championship contender. But not every driver is going to be one.
With three Cup wins, Wallace has as many (or more) Cup victories than 19 of the 35 other full-time drivers. Based on that stat, he has had a better career than half of his competitors.
His victory last Sunday shows that he belongs in the Cup Series. He can start believing it now.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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