The only black driver in NASCAR's top-level racing series will drive a car with a #BlackLivesMatter paint scheme at a race Wednesday night.
Bubba Wallace, 26, is slated to race at the Martinsville Speedway in Virginia on Wednesday night with his No. 43 car painted black. Along the sides is "#BLACKLIVESMATTER," while messaging on the back reads "COMPASSION, LOVE, UNDERSTANDING."
On the hood of the car are black and white hands grasping, with "COMPASSION, LOVE, UNDERSTANDING" under the graphic.
Wallace said in a Twitter interview with his Richard Petty Motorsports team that he's looking forward to showcasing the car for the message it carries in the wake of the George Floyd killing.
"I'm excited for this opportunity to run #BlackLivesMatter on the car for Martinsville," Wallace said.
"This statement that we have right here. … Running this race car. Being on live television. I think it's going to speak volumes for what I stand for, but also what the initiative that NASCAR, the whole sport, is trying to push."
He added, "I think the two fists — the black fist and the white fist — going hand in hand speaks volumes, says a lot. Has a lot of power behind it."
Protests have erupted worldwide after Floyd, who was black, died after a white police officer held a knee to his neck for nearly nine minutes on May 25 in Minneapolis. After several days of violence in several U.S. cities, the protests turned mostly peaceful as people highlight racial inequalities.
Wallace also wants to see Confederate flags disappear from NASCAR races.
"Get them out of here. They have no place for them," he said.
The Martinsville race, part of the NASCAR Cup Series, will not have any fans because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.