NASCAR has won itself a new fan in New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara.
Kamara embraced the sport after it announced a ban on the Confederate flag at races. That was done partly at the urging of Bubba Wallace, the only full-time black driver on the NASCAR Cup Series. Sunday’s race happened to be in Miami, where Kamara trains during the offseason, and NASCAR extended the running back an invitation to attend.
“I’ve watched it before, like I’ve turned it on and just skimmed through it, but I never really understood it,” Kamara said, via David Wilson of the Miami Herald. “I never even really took the time to understand what was going on.”
He certainly did on Sunday. Kamara, decked out in gear sent to him by Wallace, enthusiastically tweeted throughout the entire race — and even learned some things.
Kamara seemed particularly enthusiastic about some of the behind-the-scenes action on the track, particularly during a rain delay.
In a way, Sunday was an important event: it marked the first major sporting event in the U.S. to welcome back fans, even on a limited basis. Most were invited military members, but one was Kamara, who seemed to have a blast.
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