BUBBA’S BRICKYARD; LATE FUEL GAMBLE PAYS OFF FOR A CROWN JEWEL VICTORY

INDIANAPOLIS – Bubba Wallace twice held defending Brickyard 400 winner Kyle Larson at bay in Overtime while saving fuel to snap a 100-race winless streak at Indianapolis on Sunday.

Wallace and first-year crew chief Charles Denike chose to pit two laps early, cycling ahead of Larson and third place finisher Denny Hamlin. Wallace led a pack on the primary strategy with 19 laps to go after Joey Logano blew a right rear tire, but rain with 6 laps to go forced Overtime.

“Today was a surreal feeling,” Wallace said. “I’m quite surprised I wasn’t crying like a little baby.”

On each Overtime, Wallace outdueled and cleared Larson. Wallace celebrated with his infant son Becks after climbing out of the car, scoring his third career victory and first since Kansas 2022.

“To beat the best, we had to be the best,” Wallace said. “Having the right people, having the right sponsors, it takes everybody there at Airspeed to have days and have moments like this.”

Prior to this race, Wallace never won during the regular season or qualified his car for the owners Playoffs. Now, Wallace moved to 11th in points and is locked into the driver and owner Playoffs.

“You just have to trust the process and trust the journey that you’re on,” Wallace said. “However it may come out, you’ve always got to stay up and stay hungry and stay humble.”

23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin went from winning at Dover to wrecking in Turn 2 on Saturday. Hamlin started 39th after his crew prepped a backup car for seven hours and finished in third.

“It’s much harder to win as a team owner than it is as a driver,” Hamlin said. “That’s why parents always feel much prouder when their kids accomplish something more than they do.”

Pole-sitter Chase Briscoe showed promise at his home track, winning the pole in the first three of NASCAR’s four crown jewel races. Briscoe won the first stage, led 34 laps but fell to 18th late.

Team Penske driver Austin Cindric led the most laps, 40, around the 2.5-mile speedway before a flat right rear tire on lap 84 cost him the race lead. Cindric lost a lap, but recovered to 15th place.

As for the rest of Penske, Logano got caught in a crash during the first Overtime attempt to finish in 32nd. Ryan Blaney beat Larson to win Stage 2 and came home in seventh, scoring 40 points.

Larson and Hamlin tightened the chase for a regular season title with Chase Elliott and William Byron. All four drivers are within 20 points, the closest top-four battle after 22 races since 2012.

Iowa Speedway, Watkins Glen International, Richmond Raceway and Daytona International Speedway complete the regular season. Two short tracks, a road course and drafting track. 

The 0.875-mile short track of Iowa begins the slate of August races in front of a sell-out crowd. Coverage of Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on the USA network.