Michael Jordan's NASCAR driver addresses potentially running the Indy 500
NBA legend Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing's driver, Bubba Wallace, recently addressed a question about potentially participating in the Indy 500. Wallace's comments came ahead of the 2025 Indy 500 race which will take place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25.
Wallace specifically shed light on the prospect of potentially competing in the Indy 500. In his recent interaction with FrontStretch, the 31-year-old driver said:
"I dam sure ain't getting into an oval (IndyCar), so I'm good where I'm at." (2:08 - 2:11)
Bubba Wallace has been around the stock car racing scene for over eight years. He has so far competed in 255 NASCAR Cup Series races and has managed to secure two victories, 50 top-tens, and three pole positions.
Other than this, the American racer has also tried his hand at the Xfinity Series, Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series. In Xfinity, he has so far managed 36 top tens and two pole positions from 88 outings.
From Wallace's comment around the Indy 500, he has in a way, kept the door open on potentially competing in IndyCar somewhere down the line. However, when it comes to the 200-lap Indianapolis race, he quickly shut the door.
NASCAR star Kyle Larson's take on the Indy 500
The Indy 500 has been around since 1911, and over the years, it has seen drivers from various racing categories competing in it. In line with this, Bubba Wallace's NASCAR competitor, Kyle Larson, is once again set to compete in 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing'.
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Kyle Larson, competed in the 2024 event as well and ended his outing in P18 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
With the 2025 race only a week away, Larson shed light on his favorite memory from last year, during an interaction with his team Arrow McLaren in April. He said,
"I would say the first day of qualifying was really cool just with all the hype and pressure and people that are there. I didn’t expect our car to qualify that well to make the next day. I would say those two days were the highlight of my two weeks, along with the people and the atmosphere. I mean, there were more people there for Qualifying than I typically see at a race weekend, so that was cool."
Every year, the hype around the Indy 500 is huge, and since the last two editions, the bragging rights have been secured by Team Penske's Josef Newgarden. The 34-year-old won the 2023 and 2024 events and is targeting a hat-trick of wins to set a never-seen-before record at the Indy 500.
Taking into consideration that Kyle Larson ended up in P18 in the 2024 race, it will be fascinating to see how he will perform in the 2025 edition. Several of the stock car racing enthusiasts will be backing him during the 200-lap race on May 25.