NASCAR star Bubba Wallace knows ‘people are going to lose their minds’ over his car sponsored by a COVID-19 vaccine at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend.
Wallace, the only black driver in the Cup Series, will carry Kroger Health and Nuvaxovid, a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, as the main sponsor on his No.23 Toyota Camry for the YellaWood 500 on Sunday.
The car, owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, generated a significant reaction, especially racing in a Republican stronghold in the heart of Alabama.
But Wallace, 33, brushed off the reaction he faced, admitting when asked if the entire mix was ‘the ultimate Facebook catnip’ by The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck.
‘Oh just feeding right into them,’ Wallace replied. ‘Just p***ing off the keyboard warriors. Man, why not, right? Here we are.’
Bubba Wallace is braced for plenty of backlash for driving a COVID-19 vaccine car in Talladega
Wallace’s No.23 Toyota Camry car sponsored by Kroger Health promoting a COVID-19 vaccine
He explained: ‘The Kroger Health side of things, get your flu shot. People are going to lose their minds over the COVID-19 stuff, but for us it’s about building opportunities for people to be more educated on getting their flu shots, and then taking care of their health and moving forward with that.
‘Everyone else can make their own in lines, but we’re all in it together to help everybody’s health.’
Wallace has often been at the heart of political discussions within the sport. NASCAR banned the Confederate flag from all events in 2020 after Wallace called on them to do so.
At the next race at Talladega, there were protests outside the track over the decision to ban the flag.
The sport has been outspoken about racial justice and inequality, including when a rope tied like a noose was found in Wallace’s garage at Talladega in 2020.
The item was not found or reported by Wallace, but he faced unfounded accusations of a ‘hoax’ after an FBI investigation found no hate crime was committed and the rope had been tied as a noose in the garage long before it was coincidentally assigned to Wallace.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the saga, slamming Wallace and incorrectly claiming ratings were down as well as pointing to the Confederate flag ban.
Trump wrote in 2020: ‘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!’.
NASCAR and its drivers stood behind Wallace after a noose was found in his garage at Talladega in 2020. An FBI investigation said no hate crime was committed.
Protestors descended on Talladega Superspeedway after Wallace convinced NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag from all its events
President Donald Trump slammed Wallace on social media after the 2020 noose incident
But drivers stood behind Wallace, walking behind his No.43 car for the race in a powerful gesture while NASCAR said: ‘We are proud to have Bubba Wallace in the NASCAR family and we commend his courage and leadership. NASCAR continues to stand tall with Bubba, our competitors and everyone who makes our sport welcoming and inclusive for all racing fans.’
Wallace responded to being called out by Trump at the time by saying: ‘Your words and actions will always be held to a higher standard than others. You have to be prepared for that.
‘You don’t learn these things in school. You learn them from trials and tribulations, the ups and downs this crazy world provides. You will always have people testing you. Seeing if they can knock you off your pedestal. I encourage you to keep your head held high and walk proudly on the path you have chosen.
‘Never let anybody tell you [you] can’t do something! God put us all here for a reason. Find that reason and be proud of it and work your tails off every day towards it! All the haters are doing is elevating your voice and platform to much greater heights! Last thing, always deal with the hate being thrown at you with LOVE!
‘Love over hate every day. Love should some naturally as people are TAUGHT to hate. Even when it’s HATE from the POTUS. Love wins.’
This season, Wallace has reached The Chase – NASCAR’s new format to decide its champion. He enters Sunday’s race 12th in the standings with three races of the season remaining.
