Jun 22, 2020; Talladega, AL, USA; The hashtag #IStandWithBubba is seen painted on the infield in support of NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (not pictured) before the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

NASCAR honors Bubba Wallace after noose incident

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 6/22/20

NASCAR honored Bubba Wallace by painting "#IStandWithBubba" on the infield at Talladega Superspeedway ahead of a race that was postponed from Sunday to Monday due to poor weather.

Reports emerged late Sunday night that a noose was found in Wallace's garage. Wallace, the only full-time African-American driver in the Cup Series, was in headlines earlier this month when he requested that NASCAR ban Confederate flags from events in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.

NASCAR obliged, but that didn't stop somebody from flying a Confederate flag and a "Defund NASCAR" slogan over the track on Sunday:

Plane Bearing Confederate Flag Flies Over NASCAR Race https://t.co/45x6t6bdq6
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 21, 2020

As noted by ESPN, Confederate flags were also spotted and sold outside of Talladega when the race was originally scheduled.

Racing legend Richard Petty, owner of the No. 43 car, tweeted his disgust over the noose incident.

pic.twitter.com/jfKV0VYN7o
— Richard Petty Motorsports (@RPMotorsports) June 22, 2020

Wallace posted a response via social media:

pic.twitter.com/koL655AJB9
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 22, 2020

"Today’s despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism. Over the last several weeks, I have been overwhelmed by the support from people across the NASCAR industry including other drivers and team members in the garage. Together, our sport has made a commitment to driving real change and championing a community that is accepting and welcoming of everyone. Nothing is more important and we will not be deterred by the reprehensible actions of those who seek to spread hate.

“As my mother told me today, ‘They are just trying to scare you.’ This will not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down. I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe in.”

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