History is Made: Bubba Wallace Becomes the First Black NASCAR Driver to Win on the Indianapolis Oval

By Milton Kirby | Indianapolis, IN | July 28, 2025

Bubba Wallace is Black. And now, he’s also a Brickyard 400 champion.

The 31-year-old driver of the No. 23 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing made history Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, becoming the first Black driver to win on the famed 2.5-mile oval. With this career-defining victory, Wallace not only snapped a 100-race winless drought but also earned his first crown jewel win — solidifying his place in NASCAR’s history books and punching his ticket to the Cup Series playoffs.

It was a win years in the making.

 A Landmark Victory at the Brickyard

After fending off defending champion Kyle Larson through two tense overtime restarts, Wallace powered across the yard of bricks and into the record books. The moment capped a race filled with drama, strategy, and emotion — including an 18-minute rain delay, looming fuel concerns, and a frenzied final-lap showdown.

“Coming off Turn 4, I knew I was going to get there — unless we ran out of gas,” Wallace said after the win. “To overcome so much and to put these people in Victory Lane, that’s what it’s all about.”

In doing so, Wallace became the first Black driver to win a major event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since the track opened in 1909. No Black driver has ever won the Indianapolis 500, and Formula 1’s brief run on the road course never saw a Black winner either.

This wasn’t just a win. It was a cultural milestone.

Bubba Wallace Finish
Bubba Wallace during NASCAR Cup Series at Brickyard – Photo AP – Darron Cummings

 The Road to the Brickyard

Born William Darrell Wallace Jr. in Mobile, Alabama, and raised in Concord, North Carolina, Bubba Wallace’s path to stardom was anything but conventional. The son of a Black mother, Desiree, a former collegiate track star and social worker, and a white father, Darrell Sr., who runs an industrial cleaning company, Wallace proudly identifies as a Black American.

His parents made it clear to him early on — and to those around them — that his Blackness was not something to be diluted or ignored.

From age nine, Wallace dominated local circuits, winning 35 of 48 Bandolero races in 2005. He rose quickly through NASCAR’s youth development ladder, competing in the K&N Pro Series East, Xfinity, and Truck Series. In 2013, he became the first Black driver in over 50 years to win a national touring series race, joining the legendary Wendell Scott.

By 2018, Wallace had a full-time ride in the NASCAR Cup Series, piloting the famed No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports. But it was his partnership with 23XI Racing — co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin — that gave Wallace a more robust platform and faster cars. Sunday’s win proved just how far they’ve come.

 Trials, Critics, and a Turning Point

Despite his talents, Wallace has never had a smooth ride in the garage. His 2020 season was particularly turbulent. A reported noose in his garage at Talladega sparked a federal investigation and polarized the fanbase. Though the FBI ruled it a pull-down rope with no malicious intent, the backlash that followed was swift and personal.

Wallace’s advocacy for racial justice — from championing Black Lives Matter to pushing NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag — put him in the crosshairs of critics. Former President Donald Trump even demanded an apology. Wallace refused. Instead, he doubled down on his principles and leaned into his platform.

He channeled the pain into performance, winning at Talladega in 2021 and Kansas in 2022. But for the last three seasons, Wallace came close without sealing the deal until Sunday.

 Fuel, Faith, and the Finish Line

Wallace had built a 4-second lead late in the race when the skies opened up. A brief rain shower in Turn 1 triggered a red flag with four laps to go. When the race resumed, Wallace had to survive two overtimes, manage tire wear, and pray his fuel would hold out.

“I thought about everything except racing during that red flag,” Wallace admitted. “But once I saw it was Larson behind me, I knew I had to be perfect. He’s the best in the field.”

And he was. Twice, Wallace outpaced Larson on restarts, defending his line and never flinching under pressure. His Chumba Casino-sponsored Camry surged ahead on the final lap, sending fans into a frenzy and his team into tears.

Even Cookie Monster, Sunday’s whimsical grand marshal, could barely contain his excitement.

 The Man Behind the Wheel

Beyond the helmet and fire suit, Bubba Wallace is a husband and a new father. He married Amanda Carter — his high school acquaintance turned longtime partner — on New Year’s Eve 2022. The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Becks Hayden Wallace, in September 2024.

“We waited nine months on this little guy,” Wallace wrote on Instagram. “He’s made it all worth it.”

Their love story, rekindled after college and forged through the chaos of national headlines and racetrack travel, reflects Wallace’s blend of resilience and humility.

“I’m a Christian, I believe in pushing for what’s right,” Wallace once told Esquire. “When you see something unjust, you don’t stay silent.”

It’s that same moral compass that led Wallace to found the Live to Be Different Foundation, dedicated to empowering individuals to be themselves and live authentically.

SIDEBAR: Paving the Way — Wendell Scott and NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity 

Wendell Scott: The Trailblazer

Wendell Scott was the first Black driver to race full-time in NASCAR’s highest level and the first to win a race in what is now the Cup Series. Born in Danville, Virginia, in 1921, Scott overcame racism, sabotage, and financial obstacles to pursue his passion for racing in the Jim Crow South.

He entered NASCAR in 1953 and made history on December 1, 1963, when he won a race in Jacksonville, Florida. Scott crossed the finish line first, but officials initially awarded the trophy to a white driver. Only hours later, Scott was declared the rightful winner. He never received the trophy during his lifetime.

Scott competed in 495 races over 13 years and earned top-ten finishes in nearly 50 of them — all while funding and fixing his cars. He passed away in 1990, and in 2015, he was posthumously inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Bubba Wallace has often credited Wendell Scott’s legacy as a source of inspiration. “He made it possible for someone like me to dream of this,” Wallace has said.

Drive for Diversity: Building a New Generation 

Launched in 2004, NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program aims to recruit and develop minority and female drivers and crew members in a sport that has historically been dominated by white males. The initiative includes:

  • Rev Racing: A team that competes in the ARCA Menards Series and the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, serving as the competition arm of Drive for Diversity.
  • Driver Development: Talents such as Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suárez, Rajah Caruth, and Hailie Deegan have all passed through the program.
  • Pit Crew Development: The program also trains aspiring diverse pit crew members for roles on competitive race teams.

NASCAR continues to evolve, but progress hasn’t been easy. Wallace’s win at the Brickyard shows how the seeds planted by Scott — and watered by Drive for Diversity — are beginning to bloom.

“We’re not where we want to be yet,” said Rev Racing’s CEO Max Siegel, “but we’re definitely moving in the right direction.”

 What’s Next?

With his Brickyard 400 win, Wallace has secured a coveted playoff spot. He’ll return to the postseason after missing it in 2024. The momentum couldn’t have come at a better time for 23XI Racing, which is currently embroiled in a legal dispute with NASCAR over team charters.

Bubba Wallace With Trophy
Bubba Wallace during NASCAR Cup Series at Brickyard – Photo AP – Darron Cummings

“Beating the best means being the best,” Wallace said, reflecting on his battle with Larson. “We were the best today.”

The next stop on the Cup Series tour is Iowa, but Wallace’s focus is already on the playoffs. The garage knows he’s more than a symbol now — he’s a threat.

 A Legacy in the Making

More than just a win, Sunday’s Brickyard triumph was a culmination of grit, growth, and generational change. Wallace didn’t just win a race. He claimed space in a sport that once made Black drivers feel unwelcome. He honored the legacy of Wendell Scott and paved a path for those yet to come.

“This one’s really cool,” Wallace repeated after the race. “To be here, to win here, to do it the way we did — it means everything.”

It meant everything to his fans, too. As Wallace knelt by the bricks with his wife and baby boy, he etched more than rubber into the track — he cemented a legacy.

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