The 2025 Brickyard 400 ended with a big win and even bigger questions. When Bubba Wallace crossed the finish line first, it looked like a normal victory. But soon, attention turned to 23XI Racing and how the team entered the race. Some details about their status were different—possibly unlike anything seen before in a points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event. Now, fans and experts are trying to figure out if this race changed the record books in a major way.
Key Highlights
Bubba Wallace’s Brickyard 400 win sparks debate: did an open car just win a crown jewel race?
23XI Racing is currently competing without a charter amid ongoing legal battle with NASCAR.
Fans quickly weighed in, comparing it to AJ Allmendinger’s 2021 Indy GP win.
The definition of “open” vs. “non-chartered” came under fan scrutiny post-race.
NASCAR’s charter system—and its loopholes—are under the microscope.
Fans Grapple with History: Was This a First?
In a race filled with strategy gambles and high emotion, the 2025 Brickyard 400 closed with Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing celebrating in victory lane. But amid the confetti and fireworks, fans were asking a different kind of question: did an open car just win a NASCAR Cup Series race?
Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota entered the Brickyard 400 as a non-chartered (open) entry due to 23XI Racing’s legal standoff with NASCAR. That rare designation sparked an avalanche of debate online as fans tried to determine if this marked the first-ever open team victory in a points-paying Cup Series race.
“Gotta be when Allmendinger won on the GP here in 2021, since that was a part-time car.” – A NASCAR Fan
“First time an organization with no charters won but not the first unchartered car to win.” – A NASCAR Fan
Many pointed to AJ Allmendinger’s 2021 win at the Indianapolis Road Course for Kaulig Racing—also a non-chartered team at the time—as the closest comparable precedent. But that car was entered as part of a limited schedule, while 23XI is a full-time team operating without a charter due to circumstances far more complex.
“We don’t even know if it’s an open car yet… Right now they are Schrödinger’s charter.” – A NASCAR Fan joked one fan, referencing the uncertainty NASCAR’s system has introduced
The Legal Storm Behind the Win
To understand the controversy, one must revisit the legal friction between 23XI Racing and NASCAR. Earlier in 2025, NASCAR revoked 23XI’s charter after the team—co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin—refused to sign the latest long-term charter agreement, citing anti-competitive concerns.
The move sparked a high-profile antitrust lawsuit. Initially, the courts granted 23XI temporary relief, allowing them to race as a chartered team. But a later appeal stripped that protection, forcing the team into open status.
Despite that, NASCAR created a regulatory framework that allows full-time open teams to still make races if the field doesn’t exceed 40 entries and qualifying speeds are met. That’s how Bubba Wallace was able to run—and win—at Indianapolis.
The twist? There is no official, widely accessible public list of which cars are truly considered “open” on a given race day. NASCAR’s own app listed the No. 23 as an open entry, but with no formal charter tag in place, fans were left piecing together technicalities on their own.
“The NASCAR app has them as open. It might be chartered if they wreck in qualifying and open if they qualify.” – A NASCAR Fan
Why It Matters
Whether or not Bubba Wallace’s Brickyard win goes down in the books as an “open car victory,” the moment matters. For many, this isn’t just about historical trivia—it’s about the validity and future of NASCAR’s charter system.
The charter debate has defined much of the 2025 season, with fan support shifting toward transparency and competition over closed-door agreements and exclusivity.
And if an open car did win? That’s a symbol of rebellion paying off—on racing’s biggest stage.
“First time an organization with no charters won but not the first unchartered car to win.” – A NASCAR Fan
News in Brief: Fans React to Brickyard Historic Moment
After Bubba Wallace’s thrilling win in the 2025 Brickyard 400, fans online began debating whether this marked the first time an open car had won a NASCAR Cup Series race. Due to a legal battle with NASCAR, 23XI Racing entered the race as a non-chartered team. While some pointed to AJ Allmendinger’s 2021 Indy GP win as precedent, others noted that 23XI may be the first full-time team to win without any charters at all.
ALSO READ: The 2025 Brickyard 400’s Biggest Highlights: Championship Impacts and Playoff Twists
