04/20/24
June 10, 2020
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
I do not know much about NASCAR or Bubba Wallace, but even for a black (apparently) driver, this strikes me as a fairly significant statement given the venue. I hope some other drivers join him--which could really move the needle.
posted by bender at 11:26 AM on June 10, 2020
Quite the number of Confederate battle flags get flown at Daytona and Talladega, it would be great to see that symbol disappear from the racetrack crowd. On the otherhand, those flags were easy identifiers of what tailgates to avoid.
posted by FLsportsman at 11:44 AM on June 10, 2020
Of all the crazy things to happen in 2020, CrossFit being "cancelled" by a large portion of American society was not on the list.
posted by FLsportsman at 11:45 AM on June 10, 2020
[double post]
posted by FLsportsman at 11:45 AM on June 10, 2020
I don't follow the circuit nowadays so I didn't know that Wallace was driving the #43 car. I didn't know anyone was - I thought that number wouldn't get used after Richard Petty retired. I think just the fact that Wallace is running the 43 car would give a push to the message. When that number is on the track, it's a hallowed sight.
posted by beaverboard at 03:35 PM on June 10, 2020
NASCAR Truck Series driver Ray Ciccarelli has announced that he will stop racing after the 2020 season, citing concerns over the direction that NASCAR is taking, as well as expressing disagreement with the removal of Confederate flags from NASCAR venues. Perhaps the fact that Ciccarelli has raced 18 times over the past 3 years without a win might have something to do with his decision.
posted by Howard_T at 02:45 PM on June 11, 2020
NASCAR's Bubba Wallace will have Black Lives Matter paint scheme on car. Bubba is also leading a charge to rid racetracks of the Confederate battle flag.