Bubba Wallace becomes first Black driver to win a major race at Indianapolis' oval with Brickyard 400 victory
NBC5 days
Wallace Wins Historic Brickyard 400 Title
Above: Bubba Wallace poses with the Brickyard 400 trophy on July 27, 2025. Image copyright: Justin Casterline/Getty Images
The Spin
Right narrative
Wallace's win was historic, but there's no doubt Wallace has used his race and unique place in NASCAR to gain more notoriety than he deserves for a driver who went three years without winning a race. He still has a long way to go before he'll be known more for his driving than for his false claims about a racist act at a race track and his current legal dispute with NASCAR.
Left narrative
Wallace turned much of the crowd to his side after his historic victory. Silencing the doubters who believed his race and his presence on Michael Jordan's team were the only reasons for his fame, Wallace overcame his own mental struggles in the midst of a lengthy slump and persevered through on-track obstacles to earn a long-awaited title he worked hard to obtain.