1,050 days. 100 races.
That’s how long it had been since Bubba Wallace’s last NASCAR Cup Series win before he flew under the checkered flag and won Sunday’s Brickyard 400.
But those numbers are moot in the wake of Wallace’s third career win — one that nobody can say he didn’t earn.
Everything appeared to be working against Wallace in the waning moments of Sunday’s race. From a poorly-timed caution with six laps to go, a dwindling fuel tank and having one of the best drivers in the world in Kyle Larson as his main challenger, it would’ve been understandable if Wallace let the win slip away.
But he didn’t.
Wallace beat Larson on two restarts, saved enough gas to do a burnout and was able to join all the legends before him that have won at Indy and kissed the bricks.
Wallace’s emotions were on full display immediately following the race. With his wife by his side and his son in his arms, it was clear that this win was special. It wasn’t one Wallace was going to take for granted.
Throughout his career, Wallace’s emotions haven’t always been the sight of such positivity. There have been moments where anger, self-doubt, stress and sadness have outshone the good. That’s just part of being a professional race car driver in a high-stakes job — but that doesn’t mean it’s fun.
“We’re all human,” Wallace said in his post-race news conference. “We’re all super hard on ourselves; you guys know how hard I am on myself. At the same time, I was combating. I’m like, ‘f—– right, we can do this.’ It’s like the angel and devil on your shoulder.”
Perhaps the biggest difference between the Wallace that was seen on Sunday and the one that existed three years ago is that the angel overpowered the devil.
“It wasn’t all negative,” Wallace said. “To even have that thought, it’s like, ‘Come on, focus.’ That all went away on the restarts, because it was time to really focus and get the job done.”
Wallace did get the job done. He’s now the winner of one of NASCAR’s crown-jewel races, and he’s guaranteed a spot in the Cup Series playoffs.
But another big difference between the modern-day Wallace and the Wallace of years past is those who now stand beside him on race day: his wife, Amanda, and his son, Becks.
As Wallace pointed out on the TNT broadcast following his win, he’s already won in life. Now, he’s won again as a Cup Series driver.
“I’m a guy with a beautiful wife, a beautiful son, and just fortunate enough to be driving race cars,” Wallace said. “Putting family first, that’s all that matters. It makes things easier. It gives you something to focus on to. The racing stuff is kind of secondary now.
“You have to go through a mental shift to say that. I remember when Amanda and I first started dating, and I’m like, ‘Hey, racing’s everything.’ I knew I made a mistake saying that, and it took me all these years to realize, this isn’t always going to be here. I think it’s better to enjoy the moments like this. I’m enjoying life, I’m enjoying being here at the racetrack. I have a really cool f—— job. It’s not even a job. Cool hobby.”
Whether you want to call it a job or a hobby, Wallace has become pretty good at driving race cars and sharing race weekends with those he loves most.
At the end of the day, not even the allure of Gasoline Alley can outshine that.
