Bubba Wallace Jumps On Track To Support Fellow NASCAR Driver Facing Discrimination

Bubba Wallace knows a thing or two about facing discrimination in the NASCAR world. When another driver faced similar attacks, he jumped in.

Wallace defended fellow NASCAR driver Ryan Vargas after he was virtually attacked for his facial features. Beyond The Flag reported that after the 22-year-old Hispanic driver announced he will compete in the upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Truck Series, he was greeted with online critics making fun of his appearance.

The California native was born with craniosynostosis, which the CDC defines as “a birth defect in which the bones in a baby’s skull join together too early.” Happening before the baby’s brain is fully formed, as the brain grows the skull can become more misshapen. Vargas responded on Twitter, posting the rude comments found on Facebook and saying he’s sick of the “disrespect and hate.”

I hate some people man.

Not only coming after my race but making fun of my facial appearance. Sorry I can’t control that I have a craniofacial disorder that affects 1 in every 2,000-3,000 people.

Whatever. Sick of the disrespect and hate.

This world sucks sometimes. pic.twitter.com/rpqpp4THgz

— Ryan Vargas (@RyanVargas_23) January 26, 2023

Wallace retweeted the post and commented in support of the young driver, telling him to “forget them.”

I need to learn this too..but worry about what YOU can control.. you can’t control these types of people.

In a polite way..😊 forget them! You do you homie👊🏾 https://t.co/8z1IhUnMMv

— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) January 26, 2023

Wallace, who became the first Black driver to lead a lap in the Daytona 500, has faced his share of scrutiny. In 2020, BLACK ENTERPRISE reported a noose was found in Wallace’s garage at Talladega Superspeedway. Instead of being met with support, fans cheered after Wallace slammed into the wall after driver Michael connected with the right rear of Wallace’s No. 43 Chevrolet. Most of the discrimination started after the 29-year-old spoke up about the presence of Confederate flags at different NASCAR events.

Essentially Sports reported Dale Earnhardt, Jr. commended Wallace’s bravery in being the only driver to speak out about social issues that can affect the sport.

“He’s making his voice heard and he’s saying a lot of powerful things,” Earnhardt, Jr. said. “I’m so grateful for Bubba because without him we might not have that leadership, we might not have that guidance and the opportunity to understand and the opportunity to listen.”

With the support of Wallace and others, Vargas should continue to make strides on the track. According to Beyond The Flag, Vargas is already a two-time winner of the Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award and has competed in 67 Xfinity Series races, including 66 races with JD Motorsports and one with Mike Harmon Racing last year.

Black Enterprise has the ultimate pleasure of hosting Bubba Wallace as a speaker for this year’s Health is Wealth Weekend, February 10th-11th, 2023! Want to join? Find tickets here. You won’t want to miss it!