Bubba Wallace scores huge win in Indianapolis

Despite an additional hour due to a rain delay, Bubba Wallace had the stamina and enough fuel to end a lengthy winless streak in the NASCAR Cup Series by securing a victory at one of motorsport's most iconic venues.

The 23XI Racing driver managed to conserve fuel and fend off a determined Kyle Larson in overtime to clinch the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 27. He then celebrated this significant win on the track with his wife and infant son.

"This one's cool," Wallace remarked. "Coming off Turn 4, I knew I was going to make it – unless we ran out of gas. I was surprised I wasn't crying like a baby."

Wallace began Sunday's race from the front row, having qualified in second place, and displayed strong speed throughout the weekend. He remained competitive with the leaders during the race and gained the effective lead when Joey Logano lost his right rear tire on lap 135 of the planned 160 laps on the 2.5-mile oval.

Things were looking all but buttoned up for Wallace until a light shower hit one side of the track with just six laps to go. The race was then red-flagged, and the drivers stayed on pit road as the jet dryers circled the speedway.

Wallace and Larson led the field after the red flag lifted, but green flag racing didn't last long, as Christopher Bell made an ill-timed move down the inside and caught Zane Smith's rear bumper, sending him up to the wall. Smith collected Wallace's teammate Tyler Reddick, and the yellow flags came out once again.

A second restart stayed clean, and the white flag came out for Wallace and Larson. Wallace stayed in front over Larson and took the checkered flag by 0.222 seconds over the Hendrick Motorsports driver and 2021 Cup Series champion.

The Brickyard 400 marked the third career win for Wallace in the Cup Series and ends a winless drought that dates back to September 2022, when he won the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. The victory also secures his spot in the Cup Series playoffs with just four races to go in the regular season.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway has perhaps been Wallace's best track. In five Cup races on the oval, the 31-year-old now has three top-five finishes and four top-10s after today's win. He also scored a top-five finish on the IMS road course in 2022.