CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As NASCAR heads to Daytona International Speedway for its regular season finale (7 p.m. ET Saturday on WCNC Charlotte), driver Bubba Wallace responded to questions about the sport's decision to race as other professional sports leagues postponed events in the wake of the Jacob Blake police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
"I hope you all understand that by us continuing to race this weekend, DOES NOT mean we are stepping down and turning away from the dark and evil acts that have taken over our nation. Absolutely NOT!!!" Wallace tweeted.
'I can assure all of you that myself and many of my competitors are continuing to work hard with @NASCAR to continue the efforts and the fight for racial equality. Let's stand or kneel TOGETHER and continue push for what's right. Love. Compassion. Understanding."
The NBA and NHL both postponed playoff games this week, with NBA players going on strike just moments before the Milwaukee Bucks were scheduled to face the Orlando Magic Wednesday. Multiple Major League Baseball games were also postponed at the encouragement of players.
Wallace, the only Black driver in NASCAR's Cup Series, also tweeted that "nothing can justify" Blake being shot in the back seven times by an arresting officer.
Wallace has been at the forefront of NASCAR's drive for equality that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Wallace was instrumental in NASCAR making the decision to ban the confederate flag at its events and properties.
"There should be no individual that is uncomfortable showing up to our events to have a good time with their family that feels some type of way about something they've seen, an object they have seen flying. No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race. It starts with confederate flags," Wallace said at the time. "Get them out of here. They have no place for them."
Richard Petty Motorsports, the team Wallace drives for, was at the center of an FBI investigation after a noose was found in Wallace's garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway in June. Investigators determined that Wallace was not the target of a hate crime, saying the noose had been in place since at least 2019.