Bubba Wallace wins the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis

Bubba Wallace secured his third victory in the NASCAR Cup Series by winning the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, holding off Kyle Larson after two overtime periods. The win by the 23XI Racing driver ends a 100-race winless streak and guarantees him a spot in the 2025 playoffs.

Wallace controls overtimes despite fuel concerns

The race appeared under Wallace's control as he comfortably led with four laps remaining, but sudden rain forced NASCAR to display the day's fifth caution flag. After a brief track-drying pause, Wallace maintained his lead in the first overtime restart against Larson, though a five-car crash on the backstretch forced a second overtime.

Photo By Nascar Media

The 23XI Racing team faced fuel uncertainty during the 20-minute rain delay. "I thought about everything except driving a race car during that red flag," Wallace admitted after the win. The 30-year-old driver chose to stay out for the second overtime restart, gambling he had enough fuel to complete the final laps.

Victory comes amid 23XI Racing's legal challenges

The win arrives during legal battles faced by 23XI Racing, the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, which currently competes as an "open" team without a guaranteed charter after losing a legal battle on July 17. Despite racing without charter guarantees, Wallace claimed his first season victory at one of NASCAR's most prestigious events.

Hamlin celebrates as owner

Denny Hamlin, who finished third after starting at the rear due to qualifying issues, expressed satisfaction as a team owner. "When I hired Bubba, I believed in his ability. Not necessarily in the results he'd shown, but I understood his potential," Hamlin explained about the driver's development process.

Photo By Nascar Media

23XI Racing secures two cars in playoffs

Wallace's victory ensures 23XI Racing will have at least one car in the playoffs, joining Tyler Reddick who had already secured his spot earlier. This makes 23XI the first team in the organization's history to qualify multiple cars for the postseason since its founding in 2021.

William Byron, who restarted third in the final overtime, ran out of fuel on the last lap and finished 16th, missing his chance to regain the regular season championship lead from Chase Elliott. Byron now trails Elliott by four points in the regular season title battle, with Kyle Larson 15 points behind the leader.

Brickyard 400 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Date: Sunday, July 27, 2025