Bubba Wallace earned his first NASCAR Cup Series victory, winning Monday at Talladega Superspeedway.
In the process, he became the first Black driver to win a race in NASCAR’s highest division in nearly 58 years.
Wallace, in his fourth full season of Cup Series competition, helped his new team earn some hardware. After driving for three years under Richard Petty Motorsports, the 27-year-old joined 23XI Racing, a new organization founded by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin.
In the No. 23 Toyota, the number synonymous with Jordan’s Hall of Fame basketball career, Wallace joined Wendell Scott as the only Black men to win in NASCAR’s top series. Scott notched his lone win in 1963 in Jacksonville, Fla.
“It honestly brings a lot of emotion out, a lot of joy to my family, fans, friends. It’s pretty damn cool,” Wallace told NBC after the race.
Wallace was in the lead when the race was shortened by rain around 4:30 p.m. ET and thus was named the winner. NASCAR called the race because it felt the track would not be able to be dry before sunset.
