NASCAR Driver Had Classiest Reaction to Bubba Wallace's Win
Bubba Wallace won his first NASCAR Cup Series race in almost three years Sunday, edging out Kyle Larson at the Brickyard 400.
Larson, who won last year's Brickyard race, finished 0.222-seconds behind Wallace in double overtime at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway today. Denny Hamlin came in third, with Ryan Preece finishing fourth and Brad Keselowski rounding out the top five.
Despite the narrow loss, Larson was gracious in defeat, praising Wallace, who took home the checkered flag for the first time in 100 races. Wallace's third career Cup Series win Sunday was his first since winning at Kansas in September 2022.
"There's nothing you can do here to pass," Larson told Motor Racing Network's Jason Toy. "I really don't think I could do anything different. Kind of the same thing as me last year. Congrats to Bubba, that's awesome. He's a great dude."
Winning the Brickyard 400 had added meaning for Wallace besides snapping his winless streak and clinching a spot in this year's NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
The 31-year-old is the first Black driver to win a race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's main 2.5-mile oval.
"Oh my gosh, man, just so proud of this team," Wallace said. "That adrenaline rush is crazy because I’m coming off that right now, and I’m wore out. I just want to thank everybody behind me right here, all these guys, all these men and women at Airspeed for making this possible. To overcome so much and to put these people here in Victory Lane, that’s what it’s about. It’s about these people that continue to push at me, believe in me. Man, just so proud, and I appreciate all you guys.
Wallace has made the Cup Series playoffs once before, in 2023, when he posted his the best finish of his career, 10th overall.