NASCAR drivers unite in support of Bubba Wallace at Talladega Monday.
Sunday was a disturbing day in the history of NASCAR.
The only Black driver in the sport, Bubba Wallace, found a noose in his garage stall ahead of the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. Wallace is a native of Mobile, so any race at an iconic track like Talladega is a huge deal. The frightening part of the incident of racism on Sunday was someone in NASCAR put that noose in his garage.
ESPN’s Marty Smith could not have been more livid about what happened to the popular NASCAR driver on Sunday. NASCAR is disgusted about the incident and wants to make sure the sport will not tolerate racism inflicted on one of their own. Boy, did NASCAR show up in a big way in support on Wallace ahead of Monday afternoon’s race.
Incredible showing of support from the NASCAR community at Talladega. 👏 #IStandWithBubba pic.twitter.com/LQcme4Y2Jg
— FanSided (@FanSided) June 22, 2020
The NASCAR drivers and pit crews, led by Kyle Busch, helped push Wallace’s No. 43 car to the front of the line at Talladega ahead of the race. It was an incredibly powerful gesture and one we will never forget. It was capped off by the racing legend himself Richard Petty giving Wallace a giant hug once he got out of the No. 43 car.
NASCAR shows up for Bubba Wallace when it mattered the most at Talladega.
It was an incredibly emotional couple of minutes. You could see Wallace being brought to tears by the act of kindness from his fellow drivers and crew members. We’re in the middle of a global pandemic and even his American flag face mask couldn’t hold back the tears from streaming down his face.
To see Petty, the octogenarian and arguably the greatest racer in the history of the United States, to give his driver a big, ol’ bear hug is what sports is all about. Petty had not been to a NASCAR race since the world was shut down due to the coronavirus on account of him being in the age range where it is the most lethal. Then again, some things are just bigger than sports.
Though no driver or crew member will be able to fully understand what Wallace has gone through, their support of him gives us hope that things will change in NASCAR and throughout America. Despite there being no fans in the stands, this video will stand the test of time. Once you see it in its entirety, how can you not be moved by what took place at Talladega on Monday afternoon.
NASCAR has Wallace’s back, no matter what.