Racism and hate do not have a place in any sport. Often confused with emotions toward the game, such feelings only bring out the worst. NASCAR’s latest victim of hate is the only driver of color in the sport, Bubba Wallace.
Having had to struggle with such comments previously as well, Bubba is no stranger to these. The 23XI Racing driver was not much welcome at the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro. Being booed on two occasions must have been tough for him. But what shocked the world most was the team radio comments relayed through. As he raced the track, several snide and derogatory remarks were heard on Bubba’s radio.
This classless move has been criticized by drivers and teams alike. JGR driver and 23XI Racing’s co-owner, Denny Hamlin addresses the hate attack on Bubba in a recent interview and reveals the effects of the incident.
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Bubba Wallace Falls Victim to Radio-Infiltrated Hate Speech
Bubba has been on the receiving end of such behavior a bit too much recently. The incident has brought much heat onto the NASCAR authorities as they look for ways to tackle the consistent hate. Investigations are underway since such an attack on one of the drivers is not something that needs to be taken lightly.
The offensive comments relayed during the race were unwarranted, including phrases such as “Go back to where you came from, you a**hole” and “You’re not wanted in NASCAR.”
The 23XI entourage has confirmed that Bubba has not heard any comments aimed at him. However, the derogatory remarks are making rounds on online platforms. The security teams are also looking to identify the origin of this attack to pinpoint the people responsible for this.
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Previously, Bubba has been involved in incidents in which the FBI had to partake to investigate another one of such acts. But the most significant thing from these attacks is that Bubba does not let them hold him back. Bubba had an outstanding race at North Carolina and continues to improve despite such unwelcome events.
Denny Hamlin Speaks on Racist Attacks on Bubba
Michael Jordan’s driver has had it rough ever since coming over to the Cup Series. The unnecessary hate directed towards him has attracted the attention of superstars across the grid as well. Joe Gibbs Racing ace Denny Hamlin is not a fan of the horrible incident as well.
Talking to Bob Pockrass ahead of the Coca-Cola 600, Hamlin explained how the rising hate for Bubba has made its way into everyone’s minds. Although without a definitive solution as of now, the drivers and the board have collaborated to ensure this doesn’t happen again to any of them.
Enquiring the possible ways to prevent more such attacks, Pockrass asks, “I was also curious after what happened last week on Bubba’s radio. Are you guys… is there anything that you guys can do radio-wise to prevent that from occurring in the future??”
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To this, Denny replies, ” Yeah, I mean, I know the team internally talked about it. About what they want to do to prevent it. We’re working on stuff on our side to prevent it. But you know, I haven’t heard of what the exact fix is for that.”
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It is great to see that like Denny, more drivers are being aware of a serious issue like this. The need of the hour is to completely eradicate racism and hate for people from this sport.