As the checkered flag waved and Bubba Wallace crossed the finish line at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday to win the Brickyard 400, NASCAR’s lone Black driver shouted a single word.
“Unbelievable.”
Wallace became the first African American driver to win a major race at the historic home of the Indianapolis 500 when he topped Kyle Larson by just 0.222 seconds.
It was Wallace’s third NASCAR victory, but the driver who races for 23XI co-owners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin had not won a race in 100 starts. The streak dated back to September 2022 at Kansas Motor Speedway.
It was a landmark win for Wallace and a proud moment for World Wide Technology and its founder and chairman, David Steward.
Steward’s push for more diversity on the NASCAR circuit, along with his company’s investment in the sport by securing naming rights for World Wide Technology Raceway, helped the raceway land the Enjoy Illinois 300 race.
The race is now part of the NASCAR playoff series, and Wallace’s win guarantees he will be here for that race on Sept. 7, with a chance to win the driver’s championship.
“I’m worn out,” Wallace said after the race, which included extra laps for a late-race accident and a red flag.
“I want to thank all these people behind me. To overcome so much and to put these people in victory lane, that’s what it’s all about. These people keep pushing me, believing in me. Man, just so proud. Thank you.”