BRISTOL, TENNESSEE - AUGUST 17: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, is introduced prior to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 17, 2019 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)President Donald Trump decided to go after NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace on Twitter this morning.
But President Trump doesn’t appear to be finding many allies among the NASCAR elite. Taking to Twitter on Monday, prominent driver Jimmie Johnson posted a simple message. It was a picture of the No. 43 – Wallace’s number – above the hashtag “#IStandWithBubba.”
Suffice it to say, Johnson has made his stance on the matter pretty clear. Johnson has stood by Wallace ever since the first threats and criticisms against the only Black driver in NASCAR’s top circuit started to spread.
Wallace was one of the leading voices in getting NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag from events. He has also been one of the sport’s most vocal protesters against racial injustice.
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) July 6, 2020
In June, there was an incident where a rope shaped like a noose was found in Wallace’s garage. That led to an outpouring of support for Wallace from nearly all of NASCAR’s drivers.
The FBI investigated the noose and found that it had been in the garage since late 2019, acting as a garage pull.
President Trump has alleged that the incident was a “hoax,” but Johnson and others aren’t taking the bait.
Bubba Wallace has earned the respect of his fellow drivers for his resilience in the face of racial injustice. It’s going to take more than a harsh tweet to make him or his NASCAR allies back down.
