NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace previously mentioned that he has had “to scrap” for sponsors throughout his entire Cup Series career. Now his situation is changing. He just landed an endorsement deal with the headphone company Beats By Dre.
The company made the announcement on Monday, saying that it had previously planned on waiting for later in the week. However, the company altered its timeline when President Donald Trump tweeted at Wallace directly and asked if he “has apologized” to the other drivers and the officials that supported him. The president also called the investigation into a garage door rope pull with a noose handle a hoax. As the Beats By Dre announcement said, the company didn’t want to let hate “win the day.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
We weren’t going to announce this until later this week, but hate cannot win the day. No one should ever be asked to apologize for standing up for what’s right — we are proud to welcome @bubbawallace to the Beats by Dr. Dre family. pic.twitter.com/HeiC76MDle
— Beats by Dre (@beatsbydre) July 6, 2020
“This is so dope! Honored to be a part of the family! If you know me, music is a strong passion of mine!” Wallace wrote after Beats By Dre made the announcement. Several fans expressed excitement and said that they will stock up on new pairs of headphones. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, on the other hand, simply welcomed Wallace to the Beats family.
Wallace’s profile has risen considerably in recent months due to his performance on the track and statements off of it. He became the de facto spokesman after fellow driver Kyle Larson used a racial slur and then he spoke out after a Black man named George Floyd died while in police custody. Wallace drew even more attention when he pushed for NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag from future events, and he became a household name after NASCAR officials started the investigation into the rope pull with a noose handle in his garage. Wallace has also secured three top-10 finishes during the 2020 season.
While Wallace has seen his fair share of critics and Twitter users calling him “Bubba Smollett” and saying that he created a hoax, he has also gained a number of supporters. Major athletes from other sports have reached out and expressed their support, including James, Magic Johnson and Alvin Kamara. New fans have also helped him potentially reach the all-star race at Bristol.
According to NASCAR, Wallace could soon be joining Kyle Busch and the sport’s top drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway. Viewers can vote daily in an effort to send their favorite driver to the upcoming all-star race, provided the driver hasn’t already secured a spot. With just over one week remaining in the fan vote, Wallace sits in the top spot ahead of Clint Bowyer and Matt DiBenedetto.
