Michael Jordan issued a statement on Monday after Bubba Wallace won his first NASCAR Cup Series race.
Wallace was declared the winner in a weather-shortened YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The race was postponed until Monday due to rain. Then it was also called after 118 laps of a scheduled 188 due to the poor weather conditions.
Wallace became the first black driver since Wendell Scott in 1963 to win a race in NASCAR’s top series. He was elated to learn the news.
.@BubbaWallace becomes the first Black driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race since #NASCARHOF inductee Wendell Scott in 1963. pic.twitter.com/5lVzMFxjnB
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 4, 2021
Wallace drives for the 23XI Racing team, which is owned by Jordan and Denny Hamlin.
“I’m so happy for Bubba and our entire 23XI Racing team,” Jordan said in a statement. “This is a huge milestone and a historic win for us. From the day we signed him, I knew Bubba had the talent to win and Denny and I could not be more proud of him. Let’s go!”
This is the first year of racing for 23XI, and they already have a winner.
It’s not only a milestone win for Wallace, but the victory also has sentimental value due to where it happened.
