NASCAR drivers at Monday's GEICO 500 race at the Talladega Superspeedway stood in solidarity alongsideBubba Wallace while the national anthem played.- Drivers and their crews also pushed Wallace's 43 car to the starting line prior to the race, prompting Wallace to shed some tears prior to the race.
- Sunday evening, NASCAR announced that it had found a noose hanging in the garage stall belonging to Wallace and his team.
- Wallace — who is the sole Black driver currently competing in the NASCAR Cup Series — has been an outspoken advocate for the
Black Lives Matter movement and for reform within the sport.
NASCAR is fully committed to eradicating
Prior to Monday's GEICO 500 race at the Talladega Superspeedway, drivers competing in the Cup Series pushed the 43 car belonging to Bubba Wallace — the association's only Black driver — to the front of the grid before standing alongside him during the national anthem. The display of solidarity and universal condemnation of hatred came just one day after NASCAR announced it had found a noose hanging in the garage stall belonging to Wallace and his team.
Wallace was moved to tears by the show of support from the NASCAR community, according to FOX Sports' Vince Welch.
—Vince Welch (@vincewelch) June 22, 2020
Wallace also tweeted out a photo after the walk.
—Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 22, 2020
The 26-year-old driver has been vocal in his support for the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a former Minneapolis police officer last month. Wallace caught the attention of the NASCAR faithful and casual
He was also instrumental in NASCAR's decision to eradicate the display of Confederate flags at its events. Earlier this month, the association — which has deep Southern roots and a strong base of support in the region — said in a statement that the presence of the flag "runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors, and our industry."
The association received blowback from many of its former fans in light of the decision. Some called for a boycott of the series, and a driver even quit the circuit due to what he called "political BS."
Just hours before the noose was discovered in Wallace's stall Sunday afternoon, a plane flew over the Talladega Superspeedway track toting a Confederate flag and a "defund NASCAR" banner in protest of the decision. It wasn't the only act of protest of that variety prior to the Lincoln, Alabama, event. Many individuals gathered outside of the venue brandishing Confederate flags and memorabilia of their own to express their discontent with NASCAR's ban.
Despite some individuals' reprehensible responses to NASCAR's progressive tone of late, many have praised the organization and rallied behind Wallace in response to the recent moves. Many individuals — from fellow athletes to casual sports fans — have shown their support for Wallace on the track after praising him for using his platform to speak out. And the sports world — including LeBron James and Wallace's fellow NASCAR drivers — have publicly encouraged Wallace to continue his efforts in light of Sunday's displays of racism.
- Read more:
- A noose was found in the stall of a Black NASCAR driver — just hours after Confederate flags flew over the track at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama
- A plane toting a banner with the Confederate flag and reading 'defund NASCAR' flew over the track at Talladega in protest of its ban from all races
- NASCAR bans the Confederate flag from all races in their latest move to support racial equality and social justice
- LeBron James offers support for Bubba Wallace after a noose was found hanging in the driver's NASCAR stall