NASCAR driverBubba Wallace grew emotional on Monday as drivers and crews walked alongside and behind him in a show of solidarity at Talladega.- The show of support occurred after a noose was found hanging in Wallace's stall on Sunday.
- Wallace has been a vocal supporter of
Black Lives Matter , driving a car that read "Black Lives Matter" and praising NASCAR for banning the Confederate flag at races.
Bubba Wallace, NASCAR's only Black driver in the Cup series, grew emotional on Monday as the entire racing field showed solidarity before the Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
On Sunday, a noose was found hanging in Wallace's garage stall at Talladega. The incident occurred weeks after NASCAR banned Confederate flags at its races. NASCAR announced it was launching an investigation into the act.
Prior to the race, the entire competing field at NASCAR pushed Wallace's No. 43 car, as drivers and their crews walked alongside or behind Wallace.
As Wallace got out of the car, he clearly grew emotional.
Richard Petty, legendary driver and owner of Richard Petty Motorsports, of which Wallace is a member, also joined the walk. It was his first NASCAR event since the coronavirus pandemic. Petty consoled Wallace as he got out of the car.
Wallace then hugged several of the drivers, including reigning Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch.
Wallace also posted a photo with the field behind him to Twitter with the caption, "Together."
—Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 22, 2020
In recent weeks, Wallace has been vocal in his support of Black Lives Matter and taking a stand against racial inequality, driving a car that had "Black Lives Matter" written on it and wearing a shirt that read "I can't breathe."
After the noose was found hanging in his stall, Wallace said while he was moved by the support given to him, it also showed how far society still has to go in its treatment of African Americans.
"This will not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down," Wallace said. "I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe in."