Bubba Wallace reveals post-race message from Michael Jordan after Brickyard 400 win

Bubba Wallace snapped a 100-race winless streak on Sunday afternoon, taking the Brickyard 400 in style after a pair of overtime restarts. He held off Kyle Larson for the win.

It was an excellent bit of driving, one that showcased what has made the driver of the No. 23 a star in the sport. Not once, but twice he managed to outmaneuver Larson on the restart.

The win gave him one for the history books, as Bubba Wallace became the first Black driver to win at Indianapolis. Team owner Michael Jordan wasn’t in attendance for this one, but he was quick to congratulate Wallace in a phone call after the race.

“He was just so proud,” Wallace revealed to the TNT post-race broadcast crew. “I said I wish you were here for it, he was like, he’s going to have a drink or two for me tonight. So we’ll be celebrating together in spirit.”

The win came amid an interesting backdrop. 23XI is one of the teams involved in a contentious lawsuit with the governing body in the sport currently.

Bubba Wallace gave a nod to that dynamic in his post-race interview just before kissing the bricks in Indianapolis. It’s an impossible angle to overlook.

“Unbelievable,” Wallace said. “To win here at the Brickyard, knowing how big this race is, knowing all the noise that’s going on in the background, to set that all aside is a testament to these people here on this 23 team. It’s been getting old running on the cut line.”

Of course, the win for Bubba Wallace should all but negate any reason to worry about the cut line over the last few weeks of the season. Barring a complete surprise with more winning drivers than playoff spots available, he’s in.

Wallace got some advice from the likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr. following the race. He was emotional on stage, and Earnhardt hit the perfect chord with him, connecting on a personal level.

“I want to give you a piece of advice,” Earnhardt said. “You don’t really need any, but this is the best advice that I think I got in moments like this: Enjoy every second of this. … You can prepare for the next one in a day or two. But give yourself 24, 48 hours to have some fun.”