“Got to be programmed that way”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. sides with Bubba Wallace’s mentality after Brickyard 400 victory

A video shared by Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media on X showed the conversation between Bubba Wallace and Earnhardt Jr. In the short clip from the podcast, Wallace talked about his Brickyard 400 victory with a mindset that Earnhardt Jr. affirmed.

Wallace started by recanting that he was conversing with Scott McLaughlin over text messages. The driver Wallace referred to is a racer from New Zealand who currently drives the No. 3 Dallara-Chevrolet in the IndyCar Series for Team Penske. The video clip was captioned:

“One day it’ll sink in… but for now, his eyes are locked ahead.”

In the video, Bubba Wallace spoke with Dale Earnhardt Jr. about what the win at Indianapolis means to him. Wallace mentioned a conversation he had with Scott McLaughlin, saying:

“I was just sitting here texting with Scott McLaughlin, and he's a big Indy guy, and winning the Brickyard 400 is awesome, it's really, really cool, it's special. But I think there are bigger levels to it. For other people, it's just another race for me, right?” "Doesn’t matter if it's Daytona, Bristol, Indy, every race is the same race,” he added.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. responded with affirmation to this, saying [0:32]:

“You know you're right in the middle of a career and the way your mind has to work, gotta be kinda programmed that way.”

Wallace’s win at the Brickyard 400 came amid fuel concerns, weather interruptions, and two overtime restarts before crossing the finish line just 0.222 seconds ahead of Kyle Larson.

The win was Wallace’s first since September 2022 and only the third of his NASCAR Cup Series career. Wallace led the final 26 laps and made the most of the final restart, holding off Larson to claim a statement win for his 23XI Racing team.

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“You love to see the results”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. on why Wallace’s win hit deeper in NASCAR circles

Dale Earnhardt Jr. opened up further about why Bubba Wallace’s Brickyard 400 win resonated with many in the NASCAR community. In a follow-up segment, Earnhardt Jr. reflected on Wallace’s journey and how those around the sport understood the deeper meaning of his win at Indianapolis.

According to Dale Earnhardt Jr., Wallace’s journey so far hasn’t been smooth, making the win more impactful. Earnhardt Jr. said, as quoted by Dirty Mo Media:

“You know, he went through a lot of things personally... I think at 23XI with Denny [Hamlin] and Michael [Jordan], there are a lot of people around him that can help him.” “You love to see the results. I think that's why this win is so popular among the peers and other people in the industry,” he added.

Wallace’s team, 23XI Racing, co-owned by Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan, is currently embroiled in a lawsuit involving NASCAR. Amid that turbulence, Wallace’s performance brings momentum and morale to the team, which is now locked into the playoffs.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar