We rally around @BubbaWallace. Fellow drivers push his No. 43 car to the front in Talladega.#IStandWithBubba pic.twitter.com/n0YwN1qq5l
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 22, 2020
Dozens of NASCAR drivers and pit crew members pushed Bubba Wallace’s to the front of the grid before Monday’s race in Talladega to show support for the driver after a noose was found in his garage on Sunday.
Wallace, the sport’s only Black full-time driver, was overcome with emotion when the procession got to the front.
82-year-old NASCAR legend Richard Petty showed up for his first race since the coronavirus pandemic to show support for his driver. He did not mince words in a statement regarding the noose on Sunday:
“This filthy act serves as a reminder of how far we still have to go to eradicate racial prejudice and it galvanizes my resolve to use the resources of Richard Petty Motorsports to create change… I stand shoulder to shoulder with Bubba, yesterday, today, tomorrow and every day forward.”
— Richard Petty Motorsports (@RPMotorsports) June 22, 2020
Monday’s Geico 500 at Talladega was previously scheduled for Sunday, but delayed until Monday because of rain. Members of Wallace’s team found the noose in his garage hours after officials announced the delay.
NASCAR has said they are investigating who put the noose in the garage. The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of Alabama, FBI and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division will also help review the case.
What a moment. ? pic.twitter.com/eEMtwb6CzH
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 22, 2020