INDIANAPOLIS — Local leaders in the racing world are hoping Bubba Wallace’s story opens the door for young Hoosiers in the Black community.

It was all gas and no brakes in the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as Wallace pulled off a historic win Sunday, making him the first Black driver to kiss the bricks at IMS.

“We’ve been fighting hard for this for the last three years. To finally win before the playoffs start, lock ourselves in. It’s something we’ve never done. Something I’ve never been a part of,” Wallace said.

“Just hearing that news that somebody of color winning or having those kind of achievements is kind of cool. That’s not something we hear often,” Timdrick Stewart said. 

Stewart is the community engagement director for the Indianapolis Soap Box Derby. He said getting into racing at an early age can feel out of reach for many people, especially in the Black community.

“We don’t really have a long history of it. So we don’t really know who to turn to for that kind of direction or even those kind of connections on how to get involved,” Stewart said.

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Stewart has worked hard to bridge that gap, and said Wallace’s win is proof there is room for the Black community in the racing world.

“With him being one of the few, I think this will encourage other Black drivers or maybe people in the industry to look at Black racers as well. It’s very competitive … it’s changing the game a little bit as well,” Stewart said.

Changing it one win and one driver at a time.

While Wallace may be the first, Stewart has faith he won’t be the last.

“I think we could kind of show we belong and we can compete and we can win and make things happen, too,” he said.

On top of making history, Wallace also locked up his second playoff appearance on Sunday in Indianapolis.

The NASCAR Cup Series moves next to the Iowa Speedway for a 350-lap race on Sunday, Aug. 3.