President Donald Trump may be attending the Daytona 500, one of the premiere NASCAR events in the country. While the racing crowd is often friendly to the Republican, at least one NASCAR driver is not looking forward to Trump’s possible appearance. Bubba Wallace dismissed the president’s possible presence, continuing a years-long feud between the driver and Trump.
Wallace ‘couldn’t care less’ about Trump at Daytona 500
Bubba Wallace, the only Black full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup series, said he “couldn’t care less” when asked about the possibility of Trump attending the Daytona 500 race on Sunday, The Washington Post reported. The comment came as Wallace, who drives for the 23XI Racing team co-owned by race car driver Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan, was appearing at media day for the Daytona 500 and was asked about the president. “We’re here to race,” Wallace added, “not for the show.” As the only Black driver in the Cup series, Wallace called out NASCAR in 2020 for allowing fans to display Confederate flags at races, leading to the flags being banned at events. He also criticized a fellow driver for making a racist comment during a livestream that year.
Wallace-Trump feud dates back to 2020 ‘noose’ incident
Wallace has had tensions with Trump since 2020, when the race car driver reported that what appeared to be a noose was found placed in his garage. The FBI investigated the possible hate crime and determined with video and other evidence that the object was actually a door pull device that had been present in the garage since at least 2019, before Wallace had been assigned to that garage. Wallace expressed skepticism over the object but thanked NASCAR and the FBI for their investigation, per People. Nonetheless, Trump, then in his first term, called out Wallace on social media for perpetuating a “hoax” concerning the noose. Wallace responded at the time, calling on his followers to “always deal with the hate being thrown at you with LOVE!” Wallace added to follow his advice “even when it’s hate from the POTUS.”
To the next generation and little ones following my foot steps..#LoveWins pic.twitter.com/tVaV3pkdLe
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) July 6, 2020
Trump is a regular at sports events
Trump blamed the noose allegation and the Confederate flag removal for declining NASCAR ratings, NBC News reported at the time. For years, Trump has been a regular at high-profile sporting events, especially those with conservative-leaning crowds like NASCAR races and UFC fights. The president was once also a backer of WrestleMania. The president and First Lady Melania Trump have attended the Daytona 500 on multiple occasions, and the president served as grand marshal for the race in 2020. Trump attended the Super Bowl last Sunday, where he apparently received a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd in New Orleans.
Whether or not Trump ends up attending the Daytona 500 this year, it’s clear that at least one NASCAR driver will not be excited to see him. Whether or not Trump has more words for Bubba Wallace — a distinct possibility for the president, who often goes after critics on social media — the feud between Wallace and Trump seems far from over.
