SI

Bubba Wallace Wins Brickyard 400, Clinches NASCAR Playoff Spot

Ryan Phillips

Bubba Wallace scored the biggest win of his career at the 2025 Brickyard 400.
Bubba Wallace scored the biggest win of his career at the 2025 Brickyard 400. / Doug McSchooler/for IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bubba Wallace is going to the NASCAR playoffs.

On Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the veteran driver outdueled Kyle Larson in overtime and got to the line first to win the Brickyard 400. The 31-year-old was able to conserve enough fuel to get to the finish and notch the biggest win of his career.

The final two laps were tense, as the field was bunched for a restart, but Wallace was able to pull away and hold Larson off for the win.

This marks the third win of Wallace's career, as he scored a win at Talladega in 2021 and won at Kansas in 2022. In his nine NASCAR seasons he also has 54 top-10s, 26 top-five finishes and has been on pole three times. In the past two seasons, Wallace has 10 top-five finishes and has now been inside the top-10 22 times.

Wallace made the NASCAR playoffs in 2023, but was on the bubble and ultimately missed out last season. He now has a spot locked in by winning a race.

More on Sports Illustrated

feed

Published
Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

Home/NASCAR