The support in NASCAR for Bubba Wallace reached its peak Monday before the race at Talledega Speedway in Lincoln, Ala. Wallace’s car was pushed to the front of the Geico 500 field by his fellow drivers and crew members during an emotional scene.
The entire NASCAR garage and all 39 drivers paced the track behind Wallace’s No. 43 car. Wallace sat in the car during the two-minute tribute. He hugged fellow drivers and posed for a selfie with the field afterwards.
The stand comes one day after a noose was found in Wallace’s garage stall.
Wallace is the only Black driver racing in the Geico 500. He has been vocal during the past two weeks about creating a more inclusive environment for all people at NASCAR events.
Workers painted “#IStandWithBubbaWallace” on the infield grass before the race and Confederate flags were nowhere to be seen inside the sprawling facility that can hold 80,000-plus and usually sees dozens of TVs lined up across its infield.
