NASCAR has been a predominantly white male sport since its advent in the middle of the 20th century. Slowly, but surely, that is changing with each passing year. One of the most crucial individuals in this much-needed transition is Bubba Wallace. The 23XI Racing driver made a huge contribution to the cause when he won the Brickyard 400 recently.
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In Iowa this weekend, he spoke about becoming the first Black driver to win a race on the Indianapolis Oval and shared how the impact of the achievement did not hit him until hours after reaching Victory Lane. He said, “I didn’t realize the African-American side until hours later, that’s still incredible… A lot of people try to downplay it, and I get it. I’m biracial and I love both sides of who I am.”
He continued to point out how he never uses his race to amplify the impact of his achievements or gain an advantage, but blamed the media for almost always leading off with the racial factor in headlines. He also noted that people mistakenly flip his words to accuse him of being focused a bit too much on his racial identity, when that’s not the case.
Bubba Wallace mentioned today he didn’t realize he was the first Black driver to ever win at Indianapolis until hours after he won the Brickyard 400.
Thought this was a thoughtful answer by Bubba about being a race car driver first, but also being comfortable with and embracing… pic.twitter.com/uRxl3vL7jL
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) August 3, 2025
25-year-old Myles Rowe became the first Black driver to win an Indy NXT race at the Iowa Speedway, and 21-year-old Lavar Scott finished in fifth place in the recent ARCA Menards Series on the same track. These performances have left Wallace thoroughly impressed and proud. He is only too glad to see so many drivers of color creating remarkable moments in motorsports.
Wallace builds up momentum at Iowa Speedway on Sunday
The massive victory at Indianapolis locked Wallace and his No. 23 team into the upcoming playoffs. The release of pressure led to him performing spectacularly during the Cup Series race at the Iowa Speedway on Sunday despite facing a tricky situation. Wallace spent a major part of the day racing in the midfield, but a series of cautions in the final stage turned his fortunes around.
He made contact with John Hunter Nemechek during one of the restarts and lost two laps in the process of repairing his damaged car on pit road. Continuous cautions that came from there on helped him get back to the lead lap in quick succession. He then got fitted with fresh tires and some adjustments to his Toyota Camry XSE.
Utilizing the changes, he made 26 spots in the final green flag run and pushed himself into the top-10. Ultimately, he finished his race in sixth place. The performance showcased what he is capable of doing when put in a difficult situation. It is safe to say that the Brickyard 400 win has changed the entire mindset of the No. 23 23XI Racing team.
