HAMPTON, Ga. – Bubba Wallace donned a black T-shirt with the words “I CAN’T BREATHE” and “Black Lives Matter,” and NASCAR paused before Sunday’s Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway to acknowledge the country’s social unrest.
The stock car racing giant also vowed to to do a better job of addressing racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd’s death on May 25 at the hands of police in Minneapolis. During their warmup laps, the 40 cars pulled to a stop in front of the empty grandstands and shut off their engines so NASCAR president Steve Phelps could deliver a message over their radios.
“Thank you for your time,” Phelps said. “Our country is in pain and people are justifiably angry, demanding to be heard. The black community and all people of color have suffered in our country, and it has taken far too long for us to hear their demands for change. Our sport must do better. Our country must do better.”
A black NASCAR official took a knee along pit road, using a gesture employed by protesters in tribute to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. All 40 crews stood on the wall in front of their pit boxes.
“The time is now to listen, to understand and to stand against racism and racial injustice,” Phelps said. “We ask our drivers … and all our fans to join us in this mission, to take a moment of reflection, to acknowledge that we must do better as a sport and join us as we now pause and take a moment to listen.”