'Extraordinary Act of Solidarity' From NASCAR Drivers

All 39 other drivers surround Bubba Wallace, escort his car to the front of the line before race

By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 23, 2020 1:03 AM CDT
Updated Jun 23, 2020 5:14 AM CDT

Copied

'Extraordinary Act of Solidarity' From NASCAR Drivers — Nascar drivers Kyle Busch, left, and Corey LaJoie, right, join other drivers and crews as they push the car of Bubba Wallace to the front of the field prior to the start of the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega Ala., Monday June 22, 2020. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

In what the AP is calling an "extraordinary act of solidarity," dozens of NASCAR drivers pushed Bubba Wallace's car to the front of the field Monday before the Talladega Superspeedway race. The day prior, a noose had been found in Wallace's stall, a shocking incident now being investigated by the FBI; Wallace is NASCAR's only black driver. Before Monday's race, all 39 other drivers and their crews marched down pit road escorting his car; he wept as he climbed out of it.

"I’m proud to stand where I’m at. ... This sport is changing," said Wallace, who CNN notes was wearing an American flag mask. "The deal that happened (with the noose), I wanted to show whoever it was, you are not going to take away my smile. I am going to keep on going.” Meanwhile, another noose was found hanging at a California raceway over the weekend; the incident is being investigated. (This is a "defining moment" for NASCAR.)

Report an error