INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — When Bubba Wallace returned to Indianapolis this week, he felt like he was retracing the steps from last year's Brickyard 400 victory. Then he pulled through one of the speedway's tunnels, right underneath a banner of his image next to the previous race winners.
No, he's not here to relive the life-changing moment from last July.
He's back to deliver another historic moment when he tries to defend the biggest win of his career Sunday
on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval.
“I wish it was as easy as copy and paste, but it's not — clearly as I go banging off the wall on Lap 1 1/2,” Wallace said Saturday, referring to an incident during Friday's lone practice session. “It's just really cool to be here, I always enjoy Indy for whatever reason. We've had really good finishes here in the Cup car."
Race weekend has not started well for Wallace, however.
Though he felt fortunate when the 23XI Racing team determined his No. 23 Toyota was not seriously damaged from the light brush with the wall, qualifying didn't go much better than practice. He'll start 29th on the oval, which has traditionally rewarded the top qualifiers over those who struggle.
But Wallace also felt snakebitten in qualifying last year when he watched Chase Briscoe beat him for the pole by 0.013 seconds.
He rebounded by overcoming an 18-minute rain delay, two overtimes, worries about running out of fuel and harrowing back-to-back restarts against the hard-charging Kyle Larson in the excruciating final minutes to become the first Black driver to win a major race on Indy's oval.
The only thing that would be better is doing it all over again.
Since NASCAR first started racing at Indy in 1994, only three drivers have celebrated back-to-back victories — Hall of Famer and seven-time Cup champ Jimmie Johnson in 2008-09, the late Kyle Busch in 2015-16 and Hall of Fame selection Kevin Harvick in 2019-20.
Wallace acknowledges the first win helped make him a better husband, a better father and a less stressed person. A second win seems almost unimaginable.
“I just went through the NASCAR post of every winner from ‘94, and to be on that list, it's kind of like I said last year, unbelievable," Wallace said. “I'm just thankful for the opportunity, thankful for the career I've had. You never know what cards you're going to be dealt but you put on your poker face and go do the best that you can, and sometimes you end up winning.”
Ryan Blaney might have the hottest streak going in the Cup circuit. The Team Penske driver has posted 11 consecutive top 11 finishes, won his second race of the season two weeks ago in Atlanta and is third in points entering Sunday.
Todd Gilliland calls himself the underdog in the final round of the In-Season Challenge. The Front Row Motorsports driver has no wins, no top fives, only two top 10s and is 23rd in points this year.
Yet somehow these two Ford drivers will go head-to-head, the top finishers collecting $1 million Sunday. Blaney has the clear edge after qualifying 13th while Gilliland will start 36th. But Gilliland thinks he can defy the odds.
“We beat them here last year so I don't know why we can't do it again,” said Gilliland, who finished sixth at last year's Brickyard — one spot ahead of Blaney.
Race organizers are honoring Busch in several ways this weekend. The two-time Cup champion died in May, at age 41, from complications from pneumonia.
A banner featuring Busch's image has been displayed downtown this week, and another banner covering the seats near the start-finish line features the No. 8 and Busch's signature. Also, on Lap 8 of Sunday's race, the track's scoring pylon will have a special display for Busch, similar to what Indianapolis 500 organizers did during their May race.
Racing at Indy is built on traditions, and one of those favored moments — kissing the bricks — began when Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett did it after winning the 1996 Brickyard 400.
Today, it's one of the most memorable moments on race weekend not just for NASCAR's Cup race at Indy but any race at this track and drivers can't imagine not partaking in the tradition.
“It has become a really cool thing regardless of how it got to be,” said 41-year-old Justin Allgaier, who celebrated his Xfinity series win with the smooch. “I think when you talk to teams, drivers, sponsors, even fans, that's such a kind of iconic moment that everyone wants to experience it because it's become something almost as big as winning the race.”
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