Bubba Wallace made history Monday.
The 27-year-old driver was declared the winner during a rain-shortened race at Talladega to become the first Black driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race since Wendell Scott in 1963 and just the second Black driver to accomplish the feat in the history of the sport.
It was also Michael Jordan’s first win as team owner of 23XIRacing.
Wallace was in the lead after Ryan Preece was turned into the wall, causing a multi-car crash with five laps remaining in the second stage.
Rain started to fall shortly after the crash and NASCAR red-flagged the race with 104 of 188 laps complete.
With no lights at Talladega’s 2.66 miles-long track, officials declared Wallace the winner just before 3:30 p.m. local time after determining that conditions would not be able to dry and be safe to race before sunset.
It is a monumental moment for Wallace — the only Black driver racing full-time in NASCAR after becoming a focal point of racial issues within the sport.
Wallace advocated for the removal of the confederate flag at NASCAR events, which NASCAR did indeed do. He was also subject to what was believed to be a possible hate crime in June 2020 when a rope tied like a noose was discovered on the garage door he was assigned.
An investigation by NASCAR and the FBI determined that no hate crime was committed, but it led to an outpouring of support from his fellow drivers and the rest of the NASCAR community.
On Monday, Wallace was once again feeling the love and support from fans and drivers across NASCAR.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram