NASCAR’s season will roll along to Martinsville this weekend, but the talk around the sport is not whether Kevin Harvick can figure out a way to win back-to-back races this week, but instead on NASCAR’s rare step forward in the world of social issues. Prior to Sunday’s race in Atlanta, NASCAR aired a message from many of its top drives on how it’s time for them to listen and learn when it comes to systemic racism and NASCAR’s president gave an address prior to the race that the sport and the world have work to do when it comes to race and diversity.
Bubba Wallace, driver of the iconic Petty Motorsports No. 43 Chevrolet, is the Cup Series’ lone Black driver and has been using his platform to advocate for change within the sport and beyond. Wallace has said he’s been pleased with NASCAR’s response thus far to the protests of police brutality after the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by police in Minneapolis and Louisville, but notes there’s work to do. He’s called for NASCAR to take the step of banning confederate flags from being displayed by fans at races, and hopes to work with NASCAR to make the sport more inclusive.
On Sunday, Wallace wore an “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirt that also said Black Lives Matter prior to the race as he stood beside his car for the national anthem, and this Wednesday his car will not feature the traditional Petty blue paint scheme, but will be a black design that features #BlackLivesMatter on the back and “Compassion, Love, Understanding” on the hood and bumper.
Here is the car that @BubbaWallace will race at @MartinsvilleSwy pic.twitter.com/8ujMDthHc9
— Alan Cavanna (@AlanCavanna) June 9, 2020
It is a strong statement and one that most folks wouldn’t expect to see happen in NASCAR, but it shows just how widespread the movement is right now and kudos to Petty Motorsports for supporting Wallace in this way in helping him spread the Black Lives Matter message.