Bubba Wallace might not be the most popular NASCAR Cup Series driver among fans. But when it comes to his contemporaries, he’s quite the Pied Piper.
Need proof?
Look no further than all of the drivers who — in one way or another — congratulated the 23XI Racing wheelman following his victory in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Who Offered Congratulations To Bubba Wallace At Indy, And How Did He React?
It’s not everyday that driver after driver goes out of their way to offer immediate congratulations to the winner of a NASCAR Cup Series race. That happened on Sunday, though, at the fabled 2.5-mile track known as The Brickyard, where numerous competitors took the time to tip a proverbial cap to Bubba Wallace on the cooldown lap.
Those seen acknowledging Wallace before he could even get to Victory Lane included Todd Gilliland, Daniel Suarez, Alex Bowman, Shane van Gisbergen, Chase Briscoe, Carson Hocevar and his close friend Ryan Blaney.
“Yeah, I guess I’m not too big of an asshole,” Wallace said after the race, when asked about other drivers’ reaction to his win. “I’ve got a couple buddies out there, so that was nice. I appreciate all the respect. That’s the thing with being over eight years in Cup: You race with a lot of these guys week in and week out. You build up the repertoire and respect for one another. You have good times, and you have bad times.
“I appreciate everyone that came up. I doored a couple of people, but that was really cool to see.”
The kind gesture from Bowman was especially notable, since he and Wallace have a bit of a checkered past dating back several years. In fact, as recent as a few weeks ago at the Chicago Street Course, the two found themselves at odds.
“Bowman came up, and I doored him,” Wallace said. “I hope I don’t get a penalty for that. Hopefully, the seat belts were tight. But I appreciate that. Now growing up and maturing, you know that for three hours, we are just dog eat dog out there (on the track), and it’s just hard-nosed racing. It’s fun. You get some joy.”
Forever celebrating each other’s success together.@BubbaWallace 🤝 @Blaney pic.twitter.com/psIe19SbJf
— NASCAR Classics (@NASCARClassics) July 28, 2025
Even Kyle Larson Paid A Special Visit To Old Rival After The Brickyard 400
Alex Bowman wasn’t the only semi-rival of Bubba Wallace who stopped to congratulate him at Indy. So did second-place Brickyard 400 finisher Kyle Larson — who literally came to blows with Wallace after the two crashed together in October 2022 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Larson — who leads all Cup Series drivers in wins since his championship season of 2021 — actually showed up in Victory Lane at Indianapolis to greet his one-time nemesis.
“Game recognizes game, and it’s a sign of respect,” Wallace, speaking during his post-race press conference, said of Larson’s surprising appearance. “I respect the hell out of what Larson does. I wish I had that talent. You can’t be jealous of someone else’s success. It happens quicker for others. You just have to trust the process and enjoy the journey.”
Wallace’s Brickyard 400 triumph marked his third career Cup Series victory and first of 2025. It was also his first win in one of NASCAR’s crown-jewel races. Larson has prevailed 32 times at the Cup level, all since 2016.
“Yeah, I’ve got to work harder to get to where he’s at,” Wallace said on Sunday at The Brickyard. “And it’s days like this where you see it pay off. At the end of the day, when you go up and congratulate somebody, it’s just game recognizing game.”
.@KyleLarsonRacin came to victory lane to congratulate @bubbawallace on winning the #Brickyard400.
I asked Wallace what that meant to him.
“Game recognizes game.”#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/HsWtH8Vnix
— Daniel McFadin (@danielmcfadin) July 28, 2025
