At the Corn State’s 350th lap this weekend, strategy met chaos, as William Byron eked out a fuel-saving masterclass to take the checkered flag. The Iowa Speedway battled through an astounding 12 cautions in just 306 miles. Byron led a commanding 141 laps and held off Chase Briscoe’s final push by just 1.192 seconds, with Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney rounding out the top four. Bubba Wallace methodically battled through the field and finished sixth just seconds behind Byron but well ahead of Alex Bowman and Carson Hocevar. But that powerful relay through traffic in Iowa set the stage for Wallace’s stunning breakthrough in the past two weeks.
Just a week prior, Wallace delivered the defining victory of his career at the Brickyard 400 on the 2.5-mile oval of Indianapolis. In a rain-delayed race, he survived two overtime restarts, managed fuel to avoid pit strategy traps, and held off defending champion Kyle Larson to become the first Black driver to win at one of NASCAR’s crown jewels. It was Wallace’s third career Cup win, snapping a 100-race drought since his 2022 Kansas triumph, and locking in a playoff berth for 23XI Racing. That win didn’t just change Wallace’s personal narrative; it reframed how fans perceive the real angle behind his recent surge.
Despite not contending for the win, Wallace turned heads with a masterful climb through the field at Iowa. Starting well off the front row, he methodically raced inside the top 15 and conserved fresher tires for the final sprint. In the closing 17 laps, Wallace gained seven spots to climb into 6th, marking his third straight top 10 finish this year. But the real talent was showcased in the final restart. As Steven Toranto from CBS Sports noted in a post on X, “Bubba Wallace lined up 32nd for the final restart before the long green flag run to the finish. He drove all the way up to sixth at the checkered flag.” That rise from P32 to P6 over the final stint remains one of the most improbable drives of the season, with one fan asking, “So Bubba Wallace literally created a glitch in the matrix?” That kind of craft tied directly into larger developments off-track for Wallace and his team.
Bubba Wallace lined up 32nd for the final restart before the long green flag run to the finish.
He drove all the way up to sixth at the checkered flag. pic.twitter.com/yU5zzKzLnW
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) August 3, 2025
Wallace’s string of riveting performances has created real momentum for 23XI Racing. With their legal battle against NASCAR dragging on, the on-track results are a critical lifeline. The team is ensnared in a federal lawsuit over charter status and revenue distribution for months, facing the possibility of racing as “open” entries, which would cost them guaranteed starting spots and prize money. Every strong finish now helps offset those off-track uncertainties, keeping sponsors engaged and fans tuned in. It’s rare that performance pressure and legal pressure are so tightly intertwined in NASCAR, but for 23XI, it’s the reality of 2025.
Through it all, fans are dialing in to Bubba Wallace‘s resurgence. Those who dismissed him early in the season are now watching with admiration as he turns adversity into opportunity. As the lawsuit heads toward December, and playoff battles tighten with just a handful of races left, Wallace’s recent exploits have become as critical on social media and in fan circles as they are in the points standings. But for now, fans see the craft, the grit, and the drive of the team, and it matters more than ever.
Social media lights up over Wallace’s late-race heroics
One passionate viewer captured the broader sentiment succinctly on X, “Damn, I thought I was the only one who noticed it. NBC sure didn’t…” It reflected the widespread frustration after viewers realized Wallace was ripping through the field, yet NBC’s broadcast failed to highlight his climb in real time. Fans also pointed out that the live graphics and camera cuts largely ignored the on-track momentum as Wallace made his surge, while their second-screen leaderboards were noticeably ahead of what was shown on TV. This has been a recurring issue that fans have faced, not just with NBC but also Fox and other broadcasters.
The disbelief was palpable when they thought they were witnessing a glitch rather than real-time progress, as another fan added, “I thought it was a glitch on the app seen he was 15th or so with 25 to go or something like that.” Metadata logs from driver-tracking systems showed Wallace qualifying in the mid-pack but encountering a mid-race setback that dropped him to 36th and two laps down with under 100 laps remaining. That backdrop makes the fans’ confusion entirely understandable. What looked improbable on the timing lines was, in fact, a masterclass in patient strategy and mechanical recovery from Wallace and his crew.
Another fan relayed that emotion, saying, “Haven’t seen someone go on a run like that in a while. I’m sure someone’s done it this season but on a day where it looked like passing was close to impossible for him to get that finish even with a tire delta is insane.” While the run seemed unimaginable, such an instance is indeed pretty infrequent. One standout anecdote would be Ross Chastain‘s now-legendary “Hail Melon” maneuver at Martinsville in October 2022, where he used a “video-game move” in a do-or-die playoff race to surge ahead. Nailing the fifth gear and intentionally riding the outside wall through Turns 3 and 4 at nearly 50 mph above race pace, he passed 5 competitors in one corner to touch the line in 5th and punch his ticket to the title race. In both cases, the drivers seemed to be flying through the field.
Some others felt a strong liking for Wallace just for his on-track tactics, as one fan wrote, “Bubba is far from my favorite driver (bowman incident & other interviews he’s had he’s kinda rubbed me the wrong way) but if you don’t think the man can drive then you’re blinded by straight up hate. I won’t be wearing a #23 hat but I’ll praise the skill he has.” At the Chicago Street Race, Wallace rear-ended Alex Bowman during the cool-down lap, earning him a $50,000 NASCAR fine, despite Bowman later admitting fault in the collision. This comment underlines how, even among skeptics, respect is grudgingly granted for raw driving ability.
Others feel Wallace’s current stretch might be his best shot at a championship, saying, “Real talk tho. I think this might be bubbas best chance at a championship. Now think about it, what does nascar not want? … a 23xi championship. What are boomers gonna say if bubba wins it? “wokecar rigged it for bubbles” it would become a paradox.” The same fanbase that once vilified Wallace following the Talladega noose controversy has gradually quietened down as Wallace delivers on-track performances and 23XI inches forward in the courts. The idea that NASCAR does not want a 23XI championship has morphed from fringe theory to lingering concern among fans and pundits alike.
In a season where every lap weighs both history and controversy, Bubba Wallace’s rise feels less like a surge and more like a statement. And, he is ready to take every risk possible.
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