Role as agent of change comfortable for Wallace
Black NASCAR driver face of movement
LONG POND, Pa. — Being an agent of change in NASCAR cuts both ways for Bubba Wallace.
He is seen as a hero to some, particularly those who have longed for a Black driver to shake up things in a predominantly white sport. To others, Wallace, 26, represents something else entirely, and he has seen plenty of haters out on social media over his career. It has intensified in recent days.
He has ignored them, especially those accusing Wallace or his No. 43 team of being involved in a hoax, of somehow being behind the garage door pulldown rope fashioned as a noose that was found in their garage stall at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway last weekend.
“You quickly realize,” Wallace said, “they don’t give a damn about you and I don’t give a damn about them.”
It has been a remarkable and exhausting three weeks for Wallace since he helped spark NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag at its races and venues. That is seen as a sea change for the 72-yearold stock car series with its core Southern fan base, but then came the noose and a federal investigation that ultimately determined Wallace had not been the target of a hate crime.
He’s been besieged with media requests and made the rounds on morning talk shows and chatted with late night hosts.
The face of a movement is a tough haul for anyone, especially when he stands as the lone Black driver at the top level of NASCAR.
“It’s just what I feel in my heart, what feels right,” Wallace said Friday. “I’m finally voicing my opinion on the tough subjects that a lot of people are afraid to touch on. People that know me, I’m 100 percent raw and real.”
It’s part of his appeal, and why a small number of Black fans rushed the fence and cheered for Wallace after he finished 14th at Talladega. He wants more Black fans in NASCAR — he said his social media following has exploded and scores of famous fans like Lebron James have offered support.
He also would like some of his newfound fame to lead to more sponsorship to fund the No. 43 Chevrolet for Richard Petty Motorsports. He’s not going to change his approach for them.
He is grateful NASCAR released the photo of the rope; NASCAR President Steve Phelps stated “the noose was real,” though it remains unknown who tied it. Phelps said NASCAR determined the noose was not in place when the October 2019 race weekend began but was created at some point during that weekend.
“We can’t say it was directed toward me, which is good,” Wallace said. “But somebody still knows how to tie a noose. Whether they did it as a bad joke or not, who knows? It was good for the public to see. It still won’t change some people’s minds of me being a hoax. But it is what it is.”
He has received support from NASCAR friends and foes, like fellow driver Aric Almirola who started a text with “we’re not friends and we don’t act like we are” but was ready to stand next to Wallace as a brother. Wallace even had fun on the Talladega grid after drivers pushed his car to the front, joking, “I don’t like half you guys, but I appreciate all of you guys.”