KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Bubba Wallace won the Hollywood Casino 400 Sunday at Kansas Speedway.
NASCAR Cup Series drivers were in town for the second race in the opening round of playoffs.
Sunday marks Wallace's first win at Kansas Speedway and second in his NASCAR Cup Series career.
Teammate and team co-owner Denny Hamlin finished second, just one second behind Wallace. Hamlin, along with NBA legend Michael Jordan, owns Wallace’s 23XI Racing team.
While Wallace did not technically qualify for the driver playoffs with a win during the regular season, he was able to drive No. 45, as opposed to his regular No. 23, thanks to a fellow teammate.
Kurt Busch won at Kansas Speedway in the spring with the No. 45 car, making the car team eligible for the owners’ championship.
“Toyotas are strong. That’s what I can say, and we know that when we come to these places, Toyota has been really strong all year," Wallace said. "And so for us to be able to capitalize on one is really cool, so just thankful for Toyota and everything is running great with the car under the hood, and we were able to come away with the win.”
Wallace is the first Black driver to win multiple cup races.
"It's just the beginning, so sit back, grab some Dr. Pepper and popcorn ... and enjoy the show, 'cause we got a long journey ahead of us," he said.
The playoff field has one more race in Bristol, Tennessee, before the field is cut down to just 12, ultimately ending in Phoenix with a round of four.
Wallace's Hollywood Casino 400 win automatically qualifies the team for the second round of playoffs.
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