Bubba Wallace finally won his long-awaited race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway yesterday. But just as he was closing in on one of the biggest wins of his career, a flying object almost brought an end to his celebrations.
A Near Disaster at Indy As Bubba Wallace Dodges Beer Can on the Way To Making History
With the chequered flag just one lap away during Sunday’s Brickyard 400, a fan in the crowd threw a beer can onto the track. Wallace’s No. 23 car came close to hitting it, but somehow managed to dodge it. He kept his focus so that a beer can would not end his chance at winning a crown jewel event.
THEY ACTUALLY TRIED TO STOP BUBBA WITH A FUCKING BEER CAN. I’M DEAD 💀 💀 💀 https://t.co/4rJmYvXzPF pic.twitter.com/rrt0LOjeRE
— dale tanhardt (@daletanhardt) July 27, 2025
It was a massive day for Wallace, who drives for 23XI Racing. His win ended a long 100-race winless streak and marked his first-ever victory in one of NASCAR’s Crown Jewel events. But that beer can was nearly a major problem.
Some fans caught the moment live, while others saw the clip after the race. Either way, it didn’t take long for fans to respond on social media.
NASCAR Fans Demand Action
This isn’t the first time NASCAR has dealt with objects flying from the stands. In 2004, cans were thrown after Jeff Gordon grabbed a controversial win in Talladega. In 2012, Danica Patrick was hit by a shoe thrown onto the track during a Nationwide Series race in Montreal, which damaged her car and cost her the lead.
After Wallace’s scare, one fan wrote under a clip of the incident, saying, “They stopped Danica with a shoe in Montreal years ago loll.” Another posted, “Totally unacceptable behavior. I wish the yellow shirts could find that person and ban them from the speedway.”
Another fan wrote, “I thought he ran out of gas and backfired. But wow!!!! S**t fans for that kinda garbage.” While another wrote, “They really said you ain’t winning this race, by any means possible.”
Post-race, fans were quick to ask NASCAR to take action against the person who threw the can. Some even suggested banning the perpetrator from the race track as punishment.
The incident was a reminder of how one careless decision from the stands can put drivers at risk. Needless to say, there would be no NASCAR without the drivers; putting tighter security measures in place during race weekends is imperative for the continuity of the sport.