Seth Udinski, FISM News

[elfsight_social_share_buttons id=”1″]

History was made at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on Monday during the NASCAR Cup race. Bubba Wallace became the first black driver to win a NASCAR Cup since 1963, and was only the second driver all-time to take the checkered flag. Wallace won a shortened race due to weather conditions.

The Toyota-sponsored driver won the race four days shy of his 28th birthday, in his 143rd start. He celebrated the accomplishment afterward, saying,

Got some credibility to my name now. I’m just like, ‘Finally, I’m a winner and I’m a winner in the Cup level…It was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

Wallace found himself at the center of news headlines in June of 2020, just as the racial tension in the United States was reaching fever pitch after the death of George Floyd. Several news agencies reported that Wallace was the victim of racial hate crime when a noose-like rope was discovered in his garage. This happened only days after NASCAR outlawed the Civil-War-era Confederate “stars and bars” flag from flying at races. Further investigation revealed, however, that the rope was a pulley for the garage door, something Wallace and his team had used for months.

Wallace received substantial love and support from the athletic community after his win. Former NBA superstar Michael Jordan, a part-owner of Wallace’s racing team, tweeted,

I’m so happy for Bubba and our entire 23XI Racing team. This is a huge milestone and a historic win for us. From the day we signed him, I knew Bubba had the talent to win and Denny and I could not be more proud of him. Let’s go!