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Bubba Wallace Returns To The Brickyard To Defend His Crown Jewel Win

by racerx55 July 25, 2026 0 comments

Story & Photo By Patricia McCormack/TheFourthTurn.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Winner of last year’s Brickyard 400, Bubba Wallace returns to Indianapolis Motor Speedway with confidence as he looks to defend the win by going back-to-back.

Wallace led the last 30 laps of the 2025 race, holding off Kyle Larson in double overtime, and he finished top-ten in both stages. Wallace comes to Indianapolis this weekend 13th in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings and despite a late-race penalty at EchoPark Speedway, has had top-10 speed over the past few weeks leading up to the Brickyard 400 presented by PPG. 

Wallace is known on pit road as being candid about his emotions and his mental health during the race. With winning last year’s Brickyard 400, Wallace said that it allows him to think differently inside of the race car.

“We were in the Playoffs, the previous eight years, we were just fighting and clawing all the way to Daytona,” Wallace said. “Every year prior, I’d be stressed out and trying to make the most of it.”

This year, NASCAR has changed its point system back to a points based Chase format, which awards the winner of a race, 55 points for winning on top of any stage points they may win during the race, with an extra point being given to the driver that posts the fastest lap. 

So far in 2026, Wallace has 10 top-10 and three top-five finishes within the first 21 races and has led 154 laps. He also has a completion rate of 95.3% on the season.

Wallace enters Sunday’s race coming off a sixth-place finish at North Wilkesboro Speedway, and with a top-five or top-10 in every Cup start at Indy, which exception to 2018, when he crashed out, look for the 23XI Racing driver to be a contender. Toyota Racing overall has had tremendous speed this season, and Wallace looks to continue the success on Sunday.

The Brickyard 400 presented by PPG at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will broadcast live on TNT at 2 p.m. ET.