Updated July 20th, 2020 at 19:35 IST
NASCAR’s Bubba Wallace booed, crashes as Confederate Flags fly around racetrack
NASCAR star Bubba Wallace was booed during his introduction and fans cheered when he crashed into a wall on Wednesday at Bristol Motor Speedway.
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NASCAR star Bubba Wallace had a night to forget on Wednesday in Bristol, Tennessee when he was booed by a number of fans prior to the NASCAR All-Star Open. The several thousands of fans that were allowed inside the stadium then began to cheer when Bubba Wallace crashed into a wall during the race. Reports claim that Bubba Wallace was booed in relation to the noose investigation.
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NASCAR All-Star Open: Bubba Wallace booed during introduction
The NASCAR All-Star Open was the race to qualify for the main event at Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday. The NASCAR All-Star Open event was the first time a significant number of fans were present at a NASCAR race ever since the Confederate Flag was banned last month. However, along with the several fans present inside the stadium, AP auto racing reporter Jenna Fryer revealed that there were a number of Confederate Flags spotted as well.
Bubba Wallace was also booed when he was introduced, and many cheered when he crashed. NASCAR still has a lot of work to do to back up its position. The group Justice 4 Diversity held signs along Speedway Blvd. after the race.
— Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer)
FWIW, in addition to Confederate flag flying over Bristol there was another hanging off a balcony of a condo across from the main entrance as well as others along Speedway Blvd. Spoke to fan @Matt2Harrison and he said he say many flags on shirts and other items in stands.
— Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer)
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According to Fryer, Bubba Wallace, the only top-tier African-American driver was booed by the crowd while being introduced at the event. The 26-year-old Wallace then crashed into a wall 17 laps into the race, and fans in the stadium began cheering right then. Following the race, Wallace called out Michael McDowell for causing him to crash and miss out on a chance to win $1 million.
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NASCAR All-Star results: Why was Bubba Wallace booed?
Reports claim that fans booed Bubba Wallace because of his 'fake noose claim' at the Talladega Superspeedway. NASCAR announced a noose had been found in Wallace's garage stall, and it led to an investigation by the FBI. The investigation ended, with the FBI confirming the noose had been there since last year. This led to fans attacking Wallace, claiming that he had made up the noose incident. President Donal Trump also took aim at Wallace after the investigation came to a close.
Has @BubbaWallace apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, & were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX? That & Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
Wallace didn't complete the race and on Thursday, he spoke to reporters and defended his role in NASCAR’s efforts to ban the Confederate Flag. NASCAR banned the Confederate Flag on June 10, the same day that Wallace drove a car with Black Lives Matter paint at Martinsville, Virginia. Here are the NASCAR All-Star results for the top five racers on Wednesday:
- Matt DiBenedetto
- Clint Bowyer
- Austin Dillon
- Chris Buescher
- Ty Dillon
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Image Credits - AP
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Published July 20th, 2020 at 19:35 IST