The protests in response to the killing of George Floyd that took over several major cities, thousands of main streets across America, and many social media pages have also had a profound effect on NASCAR. We've seen drivers make statements and decisions that reflect both sides of the fight for social justice and equality.
The removal of Confederate Flags, which had long been a standard at NASCAR events and tracks but were highly controversial for obvious reasons, was one of the focuses of NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace's protests. Wallace, the only full-time African-American driver, wore an "I can't breathe" shirt to pay tribute to Floyd and encouraged NASCAR to "have those conversations to remove those flags."
His plea was a success. The massive auto-racing company released a statement that the Confederate Flag "runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive event" and that it would be prohibited from all NASCAR events from thereon. Wallace celebrated and was seen driving a "#BlackLivesMatter" car in a race the subsequent night.
Ray Ciccarelli, a NASCAR Truck Series driver, was on the opposite end of the spectrum as Wallace. In fact, the winless driver was so appalled by NASCAR's decision to remove Confederate Flags that he decided to call it a career.
Now, another instance of introducing social and political thoughts and opinions into the NASCAR universe has come to the surface, and it has received its fair share of social media criticism, as well as support, from fans.
Kyle Weatherman, who unlike Ciccarelli is not winless (because of a single victory in a 2015 ARCA Menards Series race), drove a "Blue Lives Matter"-themed car in a race on Sunday, with a "#BackTheBlue" message written along the side and a Thin Blue Line flag spread across the hood. Scottie Andrew of CNN notes that Blue Lives Matter was originally formed to counter the Black Lives Matter movement, and that the Thin Blue Line flag is an emblem of the organization. It's worth mentioning that Weatherman's car debuted days after Wallace manned his politically charged car.
Kyle Weatherman drove this car in Sunday's race.(Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Weatherman shared his inspiration in deciding to drive the car, which Mike Harmon Racing said they were proud to release in honor of law enforcement officers and first responders. Weatherman's uncle is a firefighter, according to the driver's tweet, and he said that he wanted to "express that most first responders are good people" by supporting the Blue Lives Matter movement.
As was to be expected, several people strongly supported or criticized Weatherman's car, discussing the underlying politics of the Blue Lives Matter message. Weatherman acknowledged this, retweeting fellow racer David Ragan after he stated "can't we choose the good on both sides?? I support the black men and women of this country and also support all first responders."
Weatherman thanked Ragan, agreeing with his fellow NASCAR driver's approach and reiterating that he "absolutely support(s) the black men and women of this country and also support all first responders."
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