As the only African American driver in NASCAR's top Cup Series, Darrell 'Bubba' Wallace hasn't been afraid to speak out against the racism that exists within one of America's oldest racing series.
Recently, Wallace made headlines worldwide for wearing a "I can't breathe" shirt in memorial of George Floyd, raced with a Black Lives Matter livery on his car, and successfully called for the banning of the Confederate Flag at all NASCAR events.
No words pic.twitter.com/ZorYccEjFo
— Steve O'Donnell (@odsteve) June 22, 2020
Just yesterday, one of Wallace's team members found a noose hanging in their garage ahead of the iconic Talladega event. According to NASCAR, an investigation has been launched into the matter, but Bubba's compatriots seem to be making a more urgent statement.
Before the Talladega race kicked off yesterday, the entire pit field walked Wallace's down pit lane, and put his No. 43 car at the front of the field. A gesture that reportedly moved Wallace to tears.
From the outside, NASCAR looks to have been extremely supportive of Wallace during these times. Both Wallace and the series as a whole has faced a barrage of backlash following the banning of the flag.
And this comes just a couple of months after Kyle Larson dropped a racial slur during an official virtual NASCAR race, and lost his drive with Chip Ganassi Racing because of it.
Following the horrific noose incident, NASCAR President Steve Phelps promised to swiftly expel the individual responsible from the sport as a whole. Covid-19 restrictions meant that only racers, teams and employees had access to the garages at the time of the incident.
Both the local sheriff's office and the FBI are reportedly involved with the investigation, meaning that the offender will face criminal charges once caught.