Bubba Wallace scores huge win in Indianapolis: NASCAR Brickyard 400 highlights

USA Today

2 days ago

It took an extra hour following a rain delay, but Bubba Wallace had enough energy – and fuel in the gas tank – to snap a long winless streak and capture a victory at one of the most legendary venues in motorsports.
The 23XI Racing driver held on with low fuel to fend off a charging Kyle Larson in overtime to win the NASCAR Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday.
Wallace started Sunday's race on the front row after qualifying second and had good pace all weekend. He was in contention with the leaders throughout the race and took the effective lead when Joey Logano lost his right rear tire on lap 135 of a scheduled 160 on the 2.5-mile oval.
Things were looking all but buttoned up for Wallace until a light shower hit one side of the track with just six laps to go. The race was then red-flagged, and the drivers stuck it out on pit road as the jet dryers went around the speedway.
Wallace and Larson led the field after the red flag lifted, but green flag racing didn't last long, as Christopher Bell made an ill-timed move down the inside and caught Zane Smith's rear bumper, sending him up to the wall. Smith collected Wallace's teammate Tyler Reddick, and the yellow flags came out once again.
A second restart stayed clean, and the white flag came out for Wallace and Larson. Wallace stayed in front over Larson and took the checkered flag by 0.222 seconds over the Hendrick Motorsports driver and 2021 Cup Series champion.
BUBBA WALLACE WINS THE BRICKYARD 400! pic.twitter.com/8X697NTDRn
"Oh my gosh, man. Just so proud of this team," Wallace said after the win. "This adrenaline rush is crazy. I'm worn out. To overcome so much and to put these people here in victory lane – these people who continue to push me and believe in me – I'm just so proud.
"It's unbelievable. Winning here at the Brickyard, knowing how big this race is. ... I'm already winning at life. I've got the best wife and the best life."
First win as a dad for Bubba Wallace. What a moment.NASCAR is family. pic.twitter.com/hImVzSTMWj
The Brickyard marked the third career win for Wallace in the Cup Series and ends a winless drought that dates back to September 2022, when he won the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. The victory also secures his spot in the Cup Series playoffs with just four races to go in the regular season.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway has perhaps been Wallace's best track. In five Cup races on the oval, the 31-year-old now has three top-five finishes and four top-10s after today's win. He also scored a top-five finish on the IMS road course in 2022.
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Further down the pack, Ty Gibbs had to avoid Smith on the late crash, but made it through unscathed to win NASCAR's inagural in-season challenge over Ty Dillon. Gibbs won the $1 million prize by finishing 21st while challenger Ty Dillon came home 28th.
'It's great!" Gibbs said after being presented the trophy and the check. "And, $1 million is a lot of money so I'm going to donate $10,000 to whichever charity Ty Dillon wants to give to. It's his choice. ... Thank you to TNT and NASCAR for this opportunity. It's awesome to win it!'
Wallace becomes the 13th driver to secure a playoff spot with his victory today. Three spots are still open with Reddick, Alex Bowman and Chris Buescher in place to take them on points heading into next week at Iowa Speedway.
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NASCAR Brickyard 400 extended highlights
23XI co-owners Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin react to win
Wallace's victory marked the first for 23XI Racing this season and the first since Reddick made it to victory lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway last year. Team co-owner Michael Jordan wasn't present in Indianapolis for the race but spoke with Wallace on the phone after the win.
"[Jordan] just told me how proud he was," Wallace said during a post-race interview on TNT. "He's going to have a drink or two for me tonight. We are going to celebrate in spirit."
The other co-owner of the team, Denny Hamlin, came home third behind Wallace and Larson in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Indianapolis remains the only crown jewel race of the NASCAR calendar Hamlin has yet to win but he still had reason to celebrate on Sunday evening.
"I'm going to be kissing the bricks in street clothes rather than a driver suit," said Hamlin, who leads all drivers with four wins this season. "What a great accomplishment (for Wallace), that whole team now in the playoffs. I'm so happy for them."
Brickyard 400 full results
Bubba Wallace holds on for victoy
The 23XI Racing driver earned his first win of the season by a slim margin over Kyle Larson.
White flag is out
Bubba Wallace leads Kyle Larson on the restart with low fuel and just one lap to go.
Zane Smith gets turned around, hits Tyler Reddick
The Front Row Motorsports driver took a tap from the rear from Christopher Bell, who was diving down to the inside, and turned up into the wall. Smith collected Tyler Reddick and took him out of contention as well. Caution flags are out again.
Overtime is underway
We're back to green flag racing with Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson leading the field into turn 1.
Race moved to yellow flags
The race will go to at least one overtime as the jet dryers continue around the track and the field circulates the track behind the safety car. The race will go to at least lap 164.
Race red-flagged
Organizers have thrown the red flag due to light rain that has hit one side of the track. Jet dryers are out as the grid holds on in pit road. Bubba Wallace will lead the field when this gets back to green flag running.
Caution flags come out
With six laps left in the race, organizers have thrown the caution flag for potential rain. Leader Bubba Wallace was on the radio arguing that the conditions are fine but drops could be seen on the broadcast on Ty Gibbs' windshield.
Kyle Larson closing in on Bubba Wallace
Wallace is holding on to a four-second lead over Larson at the front with 11 laps to go. Larson is lapping faster than him but time is running out.
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Ty Gibbs looks to have things all but wrapped up as Stage 3 winds down. He's running 16th with his foe in the bracket, Ty Dillon, two laps down in 30th.
Logano loses effective lead with flat tire
The defending Cup Series champion was in prime position for the effective lead but lost his right rear tire on lap 135. Bubba Wallace leads as we're down to 15 laps to go.
Joey Logano becomes the 2nd Team Penske car to have a tire problem at the #Brickyard400 today. pic.twitter.com/nsI15WncdS
Ryan Blaney wins Stage 2
The Team Penske driver stayed at the front of a busy restart to take the stage win. Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, William Byron and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five.
Green flag racing once again
Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski lead the field back up to speed on lap 97. Four laps to go in Stage 2.
Caution flag out for Erik Jones' wheel
Jones lost a wheel after hitting pit road and brought out a caution flag on lap 91. Many of the frontrunners could pit under this caution flag with nine laps to go in Stage 2. Chase Briscoe leads over Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney.
Cindric loses lead because of flat tire
Cindric built a six-second lead over Joey Logano as drivers across the field pitted but his right rear tire gave out on lap 84. He's dropping down the order as he makes his way to pit road.
The #Brickyard400 leader Austin Cindric has trouble! pic.twitter.com/eMphQrpnGp
Briscoe wins Stage 1
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver crossed the line ahead of Bubba Wallace and William Byron to earn his first stage win since Pocono. Stage 2 begins with 110 laps to go in this race.
Briscoe takes the lead again
Austin Cindric hits pit road on lap 43, ceding the lead to polesitter Chase Briscoe. He crucially got back up to speed on the lead lap with seven laps to go in Stage 1.
Cindric stretching out gap in front
The No. 2 Team Penske driver has built a four-second lead to Joey Logano in second ahead of Chase Briscoe in third. Both Cindric and Logano need to pit as their fuel ticks down to close Stage 1.
Back to green flag racing
We're back up to speed on lap 23 with Austin Cindric in the lead after leader Briscoe went to pit road. Cindric leads Joey Logano in second.
Ross Chastain brings out caution flag
The No. 1 Trackhouse Racing driver kept to the inside against Michael McDowell to block him making a run. McDowell hit his left rear bumper and Chastain spun up and into the wall, bringing out the caution flag on lap 18.
Briscoe leads green flag running at Brickyard 400
Polesitter and hometown hero Chase Briscoe leads the opening laps of the Brickyard 400 over Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace.
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Who is on the pole for the NASCAR Brickyard 400?
Chase Briscoe will start on the pole at his hometown track after the Indiana native topped Saturday's qualifying. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver lead a parade of Toyota drivers as the manufacturer swept the top five qualifying spots. Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing will start alongside Briscoe on the front row. Erik Jones and Tyler Reddick will line up on the second row, followed by Ty Gibbs and Chevrolet driver William Byron on Row No. 3.
STARTING GRID: Full lineup for the 2025 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis
Weather report for NASCAR Brickyard 400
It's a cloudy but warm day in Speedway, Indiana for today's Cup Series race. Accuweather forecasts predict temperatures will stay in the mid- to high-80s with humidity around 70%. There's at least a 30% chance of rain for much of the afternoon with the highest chances clearing out before green flag racing.
What is the lineup for the Brickyard 400?
(Car number in parentheses)
How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Indianapolis?
The Brickyard 400 is 160 laps around the 2.5-mile track for a total of 400 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 50 laps; Stage 2: 50 laps; Stage 3: 60 laps.
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It took over a month but we're down to the final round of NASCAR's inaugural in-season challenge. Thirty-two Cup Series competitors entered the tournament starting at Atlanta, and the field was subsequently cut down to 16 for Chicago, eight for Sonoma and four for Dover.
Our final two challengers share a goal and a first name. No. 32 seed Ty Dillon won the top half of the draw and No. 6 seed Ty Gibbs made it through the bottom half of the draw to contend for the $1 million prize.
Who won the NASCAR Cup race at Indianapolis last year?
It took multiple overtimes, but Kyle Larson won the Brickyard 400 over Tyler Reddick last year. Two months after he failed to complete NASCAR-IndyCar double duty by attempting to race both the Coca-Cola 600 and Indy 500, Larson made it through a final yellow flag for a Ryan Preece crash to secure the win. A stellar fuel strategy made the difference on the day for the former Cup Series champion. Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell and Bubba Wallace rounded out the top five.
When was the first NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?
NASCAR has raced at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1994 when Indiana native Jeff Gordon won the inaugural Brickyard 400. The Cup Series raced on the IMS oval every year from 1994 through 2020. Beginning in 2021, the series used the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for three years before switching back to the oval in 2024.
Which NASCAR driver has won the Brickyard 400 the most?
Indiana native Jeff Gordon is the king of the Brickyard, winning the race at his hometown track five times in his Hall of Fame career (1194, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2014). His former Hendrick Motorsport teammate Jimmie Johnson ranks second for Brickyard 400 wins. The Hall of Famer and seven-time Cup Series champion won the Brickyard 400 in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2012.
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