A few weekends ago, Bubba Wallace triumphed in a historic win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, becoming the first Black driver to achieve that feat. Not only did this book his playoff seat, but winning the Brickyard 400 is special in its own way, as it is arguably considered to be one of the crown jewels in the motorsports world. And now, he has also etched his name in an exclusive Brickyard list.

The Brickyard win was Wallace’s third career win that ended a 100-race dry spell dating to Sept. 11, 2022, at Kansas Speedway. Leading 30 laps, including the final 26, Wallace kept fellow contender Kyle Larson at bay and won just 0.222 seconds ahead of him. And now, with him gearing up for the upcoming Bristol race, this landmark victory brings in fresh new surprise, as Wallace soon found himself making headlines beyond the racetrack.

Bubba Wallace was immortalized for his Brickyard triumph

Very recently, the Brickyard 400 organizers paid a special tribute to Wallace. Since the inaugural race in 1994, Indianapolis Motor Speedway has upheld a unique tradition: each winner’s name is engraved on a small metal brick and added to the iconic trophy. With his victory, Bubba Wallace becomes one of just 17 drivers to conquer the infamous 2.5-mile oval.

The best part is that the 23XI Racing driver’s name appears right beside some legends at the track, such as Jeff Gordon, who was commemorated for his 2001 win. Wallace now joins this elite group of past Brickyard champions like Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Kyle Busch, and Tony Stewart.

Wallace had said after the race, “This one’s really cool. Coming off Turn 4, I knew I was going to get there — unless we ran out of gas. I was surprised I wasn’t crying like a little baby.” Of course, the road was not easy because he had to deal with a late restart and Kyle Larson breathing down his neck.“The whole time I’m thinking are we going? Are we not? I will say I leaned more towards ‘I know we’re going to go back racing. Be ready. Don’t get complacent here.'”

In the end, Bubba Wallace not only secured a much-desired playoff berth but also silenced a 100-race drought with one of the sport’s most prestigious victories. Now, with the postseason in motion, his challenge ahead is much clearer.

The 23XI Racing driver recently had a nerve-wracking moment

Bubba Wallace has been in stellar form during the playoffs, posting top 10 finishes at Darlington and the World Wide Technology Raceway, putting him in 4th position with 50+ above the cutoff line. But the run almost hit a major snag.

At the Gateway, on lap 156, during a restart, Wallace was leading the field to the green flag when his #23 Toyota suddenly slowed down. The sudden drop in speed forced several drivers to slow down, including Kyle Larson, who came very close to rear-ending Wallace. A potential wreck was narrowly avoided as Larson managed to regain control, and both drivers saved themselves from a disaster.

Wallace later apologized to Larson, explaining that a gear issue had caused the loss of acceleration. He stated, “I did it the restart before, and it was fine. I need to go back and study how to do it better, but I hate it because I don’t know if it caused [Larson] damage.”

With the Bristol elimination race around the corner, Wallace will be looking to carry this playoff momentum forward, now boosted with the Brickyard commemoration, and stay firmly in contention for the playoffs.