‘I just went and did it,’ Bubba Wallace reveals how the conversation surrounding BLM started in NASCAR  

‘I just went and did it,’ Bubba Wallace reveals how the conversation surrounding BLM started in NASCAR  

Bubba Wallace

Bubba Wallace has been the poster child of NASCAR when it comes to its initiatives for racial justice and inclusion of marginalized but being the sole black full-time Cup series driver means and spearheading this initiative on a white-dominated sport means you will face racist and personal attacks which were true in case of Bubba Wallace.

None of these attacks couldn’t stop Bubba Wallace from trying as the only second black driver to win a cup series race stood up and spoke his mind which brought both attention and resolution towards issues of concern in the sport.

Now in a panel discussion at SXSW at Austin, Texas, Bubba Wallace came out expressing his opinion on how the BLM conversation started in NASCAR and how the confederate flag ban and similar decisions brought in new fans after a hiccup.  

Find out what Bubba Wallace said

Bubba Wallace
Bubba Wallace

Bubba Wallace was asked in the panel discussion how the conversation started at NASCAR in support of the BLM movement and diversity initiatives to which Bubba Wallace pointed out, that it didn’t happen naturally as he had to take the risk and do it by himself, saying “It didn’t. I just went and did it. That was the risk,”

He went on to share his opinion about the incidents following the ban of Confederate flags in the race tracks which he intensely lobbied, where fans’ numbers dropped saying it was a just hiccup. He suggests that the NASCAR fan base is actually expanding pointing to the fact that 70% of spectators for L A Clash were first-timers. He added that he did all this to bring awareness inside the sport which needed a big cultural shift.

“In the short-term, you kind of go through the rumps and bumps, but we look at this year. We had an exhibition race in the heart of L.A. at the Coliseum and over 70% of the ticket sales were all first-time fans that have never seen a race. I wanted to bring awareness inside our four walls. Our sport needed the biggest culture shift of all,” says Bubba Wallace.

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