Bubba Wallace ended a nearly three-year winless drought in stunning fashion Sunday, holding off Kyle Larson through two tense overtime restarts to win the Brickyard 400 presented by PPG at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Wallace, unsure whether his No. 23 Toyota had enough fuel to reach the finish, crossed the line 0.222 seconds ahead of Larson after leading the final 26 laps. The win — Wallace’s third career NASCAR Cup Series victory and his first since 2022 — clinched his spot in the Playoffs.
“This is unbelievable,” Wallace said after taking the checkered flag. “To win here at the Brickyard, knowing how big this race is … it’s been getting old right around the cut line (for the Playoffs).”
Wallace had built a five-second advantage late in regulation before a sudden rain shower brought out the caution with four laps remaining. After a brief delay and track drying, Wallace outran Larson on the first overtime restart, only to have a five-car crash trigger another caution. On the second restart, Wallace again surged ahead — this time for good.
The win was a milestone for 23XI Racing, co-owned by Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan. Hamlin, who started from the rear in a backup car after a qualifying crash, charged to third at the finish.
Wallace credited his team and family — including his wife Amanda and 10-month-old son Becks — for the emotional breakthrough. “That adrenaline rush is crazy,” he said. “I’m worn out.”
Larson, who won the Brickyard 400 last year, conceded there was little more he could do.
“He had the preferred lane on the inside, and it’s really hard to beat that,” said Larson, who remains in striking distance in the regular-season championship standings.
Ryan Preece finished fourth, with Brad Keselowski rounding out the top five. Other top-10 finishers included Todd Gilliland, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Alex Bowman and Carson Hocevar.
In the NASCAR Cup Series In-Season Challenge finals, Ty Gibbs edged out Ty Dillon for the $1 million prize despite finishing 21st to Dillon’s 28th. Gibbs said he would donate $10,000 to a charity of Dillon’s choosing.
The race featured 11 different leaders, with Austin Cindric leading a race-high 40 laps and Chase Briscoe pacing 34. Wallace led 30, including the decisive final stretch.
William Byron’s late charge for the points lead faltered when he ran out of fuel on the final lap, falling to 16th. He now trails Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott by four points, with Larson just 15 points back in third.
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