Wallace ready to put focus back on racing
Cup driver worn out as center of attention in NASCAR racial issues
Bubba Wallace slouched in his chair and fidgeted. NASCAR’s only African American driver has been going through it. He’s ready to move on, but he knows it’s not likely to happen, yet.
“One, (I’m) wore the hell out,” he said Friday morning. “Two, is being a little frustrated. Three, is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. But, I’m probably a fool for thinking that, because it’s 2020 and probably something else’ll happen tomorrow.”
Wallace has been the center of attention since he called for his sport to ban the Confederate flag in solidarity with the social justice protests that have been racing across the nation in response to the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
It got worse last week when a noose was found in his garage.
'Trying to test my character'
NASCAR reacted quickly. Fellow drivers and their pit crews came together to walk Wallace’s No. 43 car to the start/ finish line, a gesture so powerful it brought the 26-year-old to tears before the race at Talladega Superspeedway.
The FBI came to investigate, but quickly determined that no hate crime had been committed. The noose was nothing more than a garage door pull with an intricate knot – and it had been there for months.
Critics quickly called the whole thing a hoax, prompting Wallace to go on CNN to stand up for himself.
“I’m mad,” he said, “because people are trying to test my character, and the person that I am, and my integrity. … And as a person that doesn’t need the fame or the hype or the media, I could care less. I could give two craps about that.”
He’s fighting for a playoff spot as the season rolls past the midway point into the Pocono 350. He crashed at the Pennsylvania track two years ago, and hitting a wall is a feeling that’s hard to shake.
He’s dealing with that as he keeps getting asked about whether he’s going to drive another Black Lives Matter car (he hasn’t decided) or whether he’s bringing more African American fans to the sport (he thinks so.)
People want to know who inspired him.
“I don’t know if anybody’s inspired me,” he said. “It’s just what I feel in my heart; what I feel is right. Finally voicing my opinion on the tough subjects that other people are afraid to touch on. I’m not afraid to speak my mind. I’ve done it and got in trouble and learned from it. But for people that know me, I’m 100 percent raw and real.”
'Let's help fight the good fight'
Context has been hard to come by. Nooses have been used to intimidate African Americans. They’re a reminder of the thousands of racist lynchings that terrorized Blacks across the Deep South in the Jim Crow era.
There’s no place for that in modern society or sports — as the overwhelming social justice protests are showing.
“Our ultimate conclusion for this investigation,” NASCAR president Steve Phelps said, “is to ensure that this never happens again, that no one walks by a noose without recognizing the potential damage it can do. Going forward, our efforts are best spent on making sure every competitor feels safe and every guest feels welcome. I would also like to reinforce that … our drivers, crews and officials proudly demonstrated that we are united in the belief that there is no place for racism in our sport.”
Phelps has banned the Confederate flag and said that everyone in his organization will go through sensitivity and unconscious bias training. And they’re going to do a better job of watching the garages so that door pulls aren’t tied into knots that provoke generations of fear.
Everyone, even Wallace, is fully aware that the message of peace and tolerance won’t reach everyone.
“It’s just motivation to go out and have really good races,” he said. “We’ll never shut ’em up. … They’re afraid of change. Sometimes, those are the people you can’t help. … You quickly realize they don’t give a damn about you, and I don’t give a damn about them.”
Wallace never did sit up straight. He never did look comfortable.
He’s ready to put all this in the rearview mirror.
“Focus on racing,
“Easy as that.”
But he laughed because he knows it’s not going to be that easy.
“Let’s focus on racing,” he said, adding: “Let’s focus on how we can continue to push the message of love, compassion and understanding. Let’s help fight the good fight in what’s going on in the world today. Let’s get new fans out to the racetrack and encourage our fan base now to welcome them with open arms.”
damn,”
he
said.