Bubba Wallace has found his voice as an activist. He hopes to bring more Black fans into NASCAR as he emerges as a leader in the sport. He would like some of his newfound fame to lead to an influx of sponsorship to fund the No. 43 Chevrolet for Richard Petty Motorsports.
He’s grateful NASCAR released the photo of the rope found in the speedway garage stall. NASCAR President Steve Phelps stated “the noose was real” as it concluded its investigation. Wallace says he is bothered that “somebody still knows how to tie a noose."
In an interview with reporters on Friday,Wallace was asked about a Confederate flag being flown over the track on Sunday.
“It’s the right for peaceful protests,” Wallace said. “It’s part of it. But you won’t see them inside of the race tracks where we’re having a good time with the new fans that have purchased their tickets and purchased their favorite driver’s apparel. You won’t see it flying in there. Outside, they’re just going to be making a lot of noise. It’s part of it. It’s exactly what you see on the flip side of everything going on in cities as they peacefully protest. But we won’t see cops pepper-spraying them and shooting them with rubber bullets, will you?”
Wallace's crew reported on Sunday finding a noose hanging from a garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway.
Before Monday's race, drivers and crew members stood in solidarity with Wallace. Fellow drivers pushed Wallace’s car to the front of the field moments before the race got underway.
Wallace became the first Black full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver in 2018 in more than four decades. He instantly found success as a full-time driver, finishing as the runner-up of the 2018 Daytona 500.
Amid national unrest over the death of George Floyd, Wallace called for the ban of Confederate symbols from NASCAR events. NASCAR announced two weeks ago that Confederate flags would no longer be permitted at its tracks.
Despite the ban, multiple Confederate flags were seen flying outside of the raceway, according to photos shared by the Associated Press.