SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Bubba Wallace roared to victory in the 2025 Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 27, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, snapping a 100-race winless streak and securing his spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Driving the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota, Wallace outdueled Kyle Larson in double overtime, clinching his third career Cup win and first crown jewel triumph.
Wallace led for 23 of the 168 laps, holding a 4.5-second lead before a late rain shower triggered a 22-minute red flag with four laps remaining. Facing fuel concerns, he stayed out, fending off Larson by 0.222 seconds on the final restart.
The race, marked by five cautions for 20 laps and 15 lead changes, saw Wallace inherit the lead after Joey Logano’s tire failure on lap 133. Larson finished second, followed by Denny Hamlin, Ryan Preece, and Brad Keselowski. Chase Briscoe won stage one, while Ryan Blaney claimed stage two, per NASCAR.com. Ty Gibbs secured the $1 million In-Season Challenge prize, finishing 21st.
Wallace’s victory, the first by a Black driver on Indy’s 2.5-mile oval, marked a historic milestone. “Unbelievable,” Wallace shouted on TNT, celebrating with his infant son, Becks, in victory lane. His last win came in September 2022 at Kansas Speedway, and the drought had fueled doubts about his playoff chances. Now, with four races left before the playoffs, including next weekend’s Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway, Wallace sits ninth in the playoff standings with seven playoff points.
The win bolstered 23XI Racing, co-owned by Michael Jordan and Hamlin, amid its ongoing legal battle with NASCAR. Fans on X erupted, with @bhauff_549 posting, “BUBBA WALLACE IS A BRICKYARD 400 WINNER!!!!!! THE HATERS CAN SUCK IT!!!!!” Wallace’s emotional triumph, coupled with his bold message, cemented his resolve to prove detractors wrong on NASCAR’s grandest stage.
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