INDIANAPOLIS — Bubba Wallace spent three long years questioning everything about his racing world.

During a 100-race winless streak, he saw teammate Tyler Reddick win five times and post three top 10 finishes in NASCAR’s final standings. Wallace also watched team co-owner Denny Hamlin make regular trips to victory lane while still chasing his elusive Cup title.

The drought forced Wallace to contemplate what was wrong and whether he’d continue to be employed in racing — until he realized there was more to life than racing. Sunday’s life-changing Brickyard 400 title only reinforced that notion.

“When Amanda and I first started dating, I was like ‘Hey, racing everything, right?’ I knew I made a mistake saying that,” Wallace said, referring to his wife Sunday night. “It took me all these years to realize this isn’t always going to be here. So I think it’s better to enjoy moments like this, but nothing can overcome the joyful times you have with your family.”

Those aren’t just empty words, either.

After celebrating with his crew, a jubilant Wallace hugged his wife and hoisted their 10-month-old son over his head, an image that may far outlive Wallace’s reign as champion.

His second family, other Cup drivers, also embraced Wallace following the biggest victory of his career. By becoming the first Black driver to win a major race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s historic 2.5-mile oval, Wallace also locked up his second playoff appearance.

But long before Sunday, there were indications Wallace was turning things around.

After posting just six top five finishes and 12 top 10s in his first five Cup seasons, Wallace broke through with five top fives and 10 top 10s in 2022 and 2023. Last year, he had career bests of six top fives and 14 top 10s. And he won one pole in each of those three seasons, too. He also won two qualifying races leading up to this year’s Daytona 500, though those wins don’t count in the Cup’s official stats.

Midway through last season, though, Hamlin noticed a change in Wallace.

“When I hired Bubba, I believed in his capability, not necessarily the results he had shown, but I understood his potential. And then there was a time where we were kind of wrestling with ‘Do I want it worse than him? I can’t make him want it,'” Hamlin said. “It just seems like something happened mid last year — maybe related to having a child or whatever — but something happened where I saw a change in attitude that changed work for him.”

It was a new perspective on life.