Bubba Wallace has broken his silence on the incident that happened on Sunday. It was announced a noose was found in the NASCAR driver’s garage at the Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, which led to NASCAR starting an immediate investigation. Wallace went to Instagram to share his thoughts on the situation and said it’s a “painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism.”
However, Wallace also expressed his appreciation for the support he’s received over the last few weeks. “I have been overwhelmed by the support from people across the NASCAR industry, including other drivers and team members in the garage,” Wallace wrote. “Together, our sport has made a commitment to driving real change and championing a community that is accepting and welcoming to everyone. Nothing is more important and we will not be deterred by the reprehensible actions of those who seek to spread hate.” Wallace continued: “As my mother told me today, ‘They are just trying to scare you.’ This will not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down. I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe in.”
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Wallace never saw the noose as it was reportedly discovered by a staff member. It then led to NASCAR releasing a statement, saying: “Late this afternoon, NASCAR was made aware that a noose was found in the garage stall of the 43 team. We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act. “We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport.” At the end of the statement, NASCAR stated there “is no place for racism” in NASCAR and the noose discovery “only strengthens our resolve to make the sport open and welcoming to all.”
This comes shortly after NASCAR announced it has banned Confederate flags at races. However, a big Confederate flag flew over the race track on Sunday with the writing of “Defund NASCAR.” Wallace, the only full-time Black driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, wanted the league to ban the flags because he wanted all fans to feel comfortable when attending a race. Sunday’s race has been postponed until Monday, and it will be the first time fans will get to see the drivers in action since March.
