There’s nothing like winning. For Bubba Wallace, his first elusive Cup Series victory holds more weight than most.
Wallace’s first season as a full-time driver for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing hasn’t garnered immediate success. For an owner used to winning titles, that’s a frustrating pill to swallow.
Today Jordan’s frustrations disapated as Bubba Wallace notched his first Cup Series victory at a rain-plagued YellaWood 500 at Talladega.
Not only was it his first Cup Series victory, but it was also the first Cup Series win by a Black driver since Wendell Scott did it in Jacksonville in December of 1963.
Now, Bubba Wallace is the first Black driver in the modern NASCAR era to win a Cup Series race.
“It brings a lot of emotion, a lot of joy to my family, fans, friends — It’s pretty damn cool. Just proud to be a winner in the Cup Series,” Wallace told NBC Sports. “This is to all those kids out there that want to have an opportunity in whatever they want to achieve and be the best at what they want to do.”
The victory at Talladega is bittersweet for Wallace.
Last year at the track, a noose was found in Wallace’s garage, prompting an FBI investigation.
After their investigation, FBI officials said no crime had been committed. The noose, according to the FBI, had been in the garage since 2019 and no one but NASCAR officials could have known that Wallace would be assigned that garage.
They also noted that the rope was a garage door pull rope tied in a loop, so racism, according to the investigation, was not a factor.
The incident left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, but NASCAR and Wallace’s fellow drivers supported Wallace after the painful and embarrassing incident.
A year later, Wallace’s victory at Talladega removed the stain left by the rope incident.
“You’re gonna go through a lot of bulls**t, but you’ve always got to stay true to your path and not let the nonsense get to you. And stay strong, stay humble, stay hungry,” said Wallace. “There have been plenty of times where I’ve wanted to give up. But you surround yourself with the right people, and it’s moments like this that you appreciate.”
This is Wallace’s fourth season in the Cup Series.
Making his debut in 2018, Wallace placed second at Daytona and was runner-up to William Byron for Sunoco Rookie of the Year.
Three years later, Wallace has his first Cup Series victory and hopefully brought a smile to Jordan’s face.
