Source: Justin Casterline / Getty
Bubba Wallace is one of the first big-time Black racecar drivers, so a lot of his stunning victories are first, and he’s done it again.
Over the weekend, the 31-year-old won the Brickyard 400, making him the first Black man to win a major race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The win didn’t come without its challenges, due to a rain delay that lasted nearly 20 minutes, and Kyle Larson—who won last year—staying close behind, raising a fear that he might be running out of fuel. Still, by the last leg, he had a feeling he’d cross the victory line first.
“This one’s really cool,” Wallace said. “Coming off Turn 4, I knew I was going to get there — unless we ran out of gas. I was surprised I wasn’t crying like a little baby.”
That rain delay came at a pivotal time for Wallace, as Larson had just cut a 5-second lead when the yellow flag came out, and eventually the red flag with just six laps to go. Instead of being upset about his momentum being screwed up, he used it as a time to rethink and stay ready for when the race resumed.
“The whole time I’m thinking, ‘Are we going? Are we not?’” he said. “I will say I leaned more towards ‘I know we’re going to go back racing. Be ready. Don’t get complacent here.’”
When it resumed, that’s when a multi-car crash happened behind him, and already low on fuel, he was suddenly sent into double overtime, but somehow still able to hold off Larson and conserve fuel to win.
“The first thing that went through my mind was, ‘Here we go again,’” he said. “But then I said, `I want to win this straight up. I want to go back racing.’ Here we are.”
The monumental win also broke a much-needed 10-race winless streak, dating back to Kansas in 2021. It also marks Wallace’s first victory in the NASCAR Cup series’ four Crown Jewel events, which also include the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Southern 500.
After the win, he greeted his emotional wife and immediately hoisted his son in the air.
See social media’s reaction to the Wallace’s big-time win below.