Bubba Wallace noose

NASCAR CHAMP JIMMIE JOHNSON CANCELS SPONSORSHIP OVER RACIST TWEETS, DENOUNCES NOOSE LEFT IN STALL OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN DRIVER BUBBA WALLACE

 

Update June 23, 2020:  In a show of solidarity, all drivers in the Talladega race yesterday afternoon joined together to push Bubba Wallace's car to the front before the race began, after Jimmie Johnson announced he would stand with Wallace during the national anthem.  During the race, Wallace's vehicle ran out of gas, so another drived pushed him over the finish line and he came in 14th.  Johnson finished 13th and said he is "very proud of our sport."

Later in the day, the FBI announced that video shows the rope noose used as a door pull had been in the stall newly assigned to Wallace's team since 2019.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos, left: Jimmie Johnson and Bubba Wallace, creative commons via 2.0 by Zach Catanzareti

June 22, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, an El Cajon native and hometown hero, is ending his final year in the sport by taking a strong stand against racism in the sport.

Last week, NASCAR announced a ban on the Confederate flag, a move long pushed for by Bubba Wallace, one of the most successful African-American drivers in NASCAR racing history. 

Yesterday, NASCAR announced that a noose had been found in the stall of the Wallace team 43 prior to the Talladega Super Speedway race in Alabama (which has been postponed until 1 p.m. today Pacific Standard Time due to inclement weather). 

The U.S. Justice Department and NASCAR have both announced investigations into the action, which could be charged as a hate crime.

Jimmie Johnson tweeted, “I can’t begin to fathom the pain this action has caused. I stand with you @BubbaWallace.”


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