Bubba Wallace leaves no doubt about his Indy 500 ambitions

23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace made it clear this weekend that he has no plans to race in the Indianapolis 500. Speaking ahead of Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Open, Wallace said he has no interest in driving an IndyCar, especially not on an oval. He said he’s happy where he is and has no desire to attempt “The Double” like Kyle Larson.

Bubba Wallace was asked about the Indy 500 because of Larson’s high-profile attempt to run both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Larson is trying the double for the second time this year after his failed attempt in 2024. This year he qualified 21st for the Indy 500 while missing the Saturday heat races for the All-Star Race.

Wallace said he does follow what Larson is doing and praised him as the best NASCAR driver to represent the sport in IndyCar. He also shared that he talks regularly with Scott McLaughlin, who drives for Team Penske in the NTT IndyCar Series. The two often text, but Wallace said racing in IndyCar never comes up.

When asked if Scott could convince him to attempt the Indy 500, Bubba Wallace said (via Frontstretch):

"I text him (Scott McLaughlin) last week... where were they at last week? The (Indy) road course, right? Yeah, that their races looked easy; his race looked easy. But I was obviously kidding. And so, we've never talked about (me racing in the Indy 500). He knows my road course expertise, it's not that good, and I damn sure ain't getting in one (IndyCar) on an oval. So I'm good where I'm at." (1:45 onwards)

Wallace will have to race his way into the All-Star Race on Sunday. He didn’t qualify automatically and will start 14th in the All-Star Open. Only the top two finishers from the Open and the fan vote winner will make the main event.

Larson is already locked into the All-Star Race, but his focus this weekend is on Indianapolis. He will start the Indy 500 from the 21st spot next Sunday.

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Bubba Wallace says winning the All-Star Race is a huge career advantage for Cup drivers

NASCAR: Bubba Wallace at Cup Practice and Qualifying - Source: Imagn

Bubba Wallace believes that winning the NASCAR All-Star Race gives drivers a big boost in their careers. According to Wallace, while the race is not a part of the regular season, it still means a lot because of what comes with the win, especially the $1 million prize and a guaranteed spot in the event for the next 10 years.

The All-Star Race brings together past race winners and top Cup Series drivers to compete in a one-off show where the winner walks away with a big payday. For the past two years, the venue for this exhibition event has been the North Wilkesboro Speedway.

"You’re putting on a show for the fans,” Bubba Wallace shared about the main event (via Charlotte Observer). "Even if it’s $1 million, for those guys, $1 million to NFL players is nothing. But for us, it’s another race. It doesn’t matter if we’re at Martinsville, North Wilkesboro, Daytona, where the speeds can vary. We still give it our all."

"We always have that ‘give it your all’ factor. It’s the same thing we do every weekend. You just so happen to take points away, it’s not like we lay over. We’re still racing. We want to win $1 million. You win the All-Star Race, you’re locked in for the next 10 years," he added.

Wallace is currently 10th in the Cup Series standings with 310 points. He trails the leader, Kyle Larson, by 159 points.