This past weekend at Talladega Superspeedway was eventful. Yes, weekends here are always eventful, but this past one was eventful on quite a different level. Everyone that resides here on this third rock that rotates around the sun had there eyes on this area yesterday for the GEICO 500, after the rain delay and other events that happened on Sunday.
Every one knows of what occured Sunday with, what I will label it as, the finding of the noose shaped apparatus in the garage area, particularly in the garage stall that the 43 car of Bubba Wallace was in. On this Tuesday, everyone now knows what the FBI Birmingham office found in its conclusion of the investigation. With everything going on in America, particularly in race relations, things like this have to be treated seriously until fair, complete and unbiased investigations are completed to the fullest. Nobody can deny that is exactly what happened. After revelation today that what was considered to be a noose was actually the garage door pull cord, the conspiracy theorists stormed to the forefront, which left me with one reaction and one reaction only:
“Here we GO.”
Now, I fully get that teams are gonna do what makes the job at the racetrack the easiest, no matter what it is. Anything from the lifting to the garage door to changing an engine, they’re gonna simplify anything. Yes, pulling a garage door up ISN’T hard. I have common sense, which most people don’t have these days. But, simplifying a job at a racetrack is gonna be done by anyone, even if its tying a loop into a pullcord on a door. My question is this: Why didn’t the team that was in the stall before put it back like it was found, after the FALL 2019 race? Out of the 40 plus garage stalls, it was found that this was the only stall that had this, which personally I found odd. But see my previous statement, each team is gonna simplify everything at the track. Now, its time for me to pull the soapbox out of the closet, dust it off, and plant my two feet on it:
For every single one of you that are saying that this was a setup, and Bubba and the 43 team knew what was going on, get a life. GET A DARNED LIFE. Bubba wasn’t in the garage, and I SERIOUSLY DOUBT that his team would do that on purpose. Comparing this to the scenario of Jussie Smollett is disgraceful. Photos and video clips from last fall show that it was there during the event weekend. NASCAR, nor RPM honestly had no reason to fabricate anything, just to cause a scene. Anyone that does anything to fabricate something just to make themselves look good on ANY LEVEL needs to get their heads checked. Its a sad situation all the way around, no matter how you look at it, because simply put, this whole deal was a no win situation for anyone. Lets just say it did turn up to be a hate crime that was committed, a black eye would be on the sport for it happening within a super restricted garage area. Even further, the stereotype the sport has faced for many years in the past would be deepened severely. If it was determined that what happened wasn’t a hate crime, which this was the result, a black eye would be still on the sport, and as well on Bubba Wallace, because conspiracies and hoaxes would run rampid, accusations would be made of this being a setup. The keyboard warriors are out in armies doing the latter. It is really heinous and disgraceful in my eyes that people are comparing Wallace to Smollett in this case, when this is NOT even close. NASCAR did the right thing in looking at this in a serious manner, because as I said earlier, in today’s society, you never know what one person is thinking, no matter their respective race. Where I have a disagreement, is that I feel like it should have been investigated quietly, then release the findings. The reason I say that is because once certain wings, NOT ALL of the media took it and ran a marathon with it, which cast the negative light on the sport. You can respectfully disagree if you want, just I can respectfully disagree with you if your respective viewpoint is different.
At the end of the day, NASCAR and the track DID RIGHT by investigating the incident to get the facts, but with it being released as quick as it was, it essentially created a PR nightmare, for the series and the track. The events of the show of solidarity by the teams and competitors on Monday gave a clear definition to everyone that NASCAR is FAMILY, no matter the gender or creed. The Kenny Chesney hit “The Boys of Fall” has a key line in it: ” You mess with one man, YOU GOT US ALL.” One Clint Bowyer stated that exact same thing on his social media on Monday. Deep down, I know that if something that resembled a hate crime was committed against Kyle Busch, or even Daniel Suarez, It would be treated the EXACT SAME WAY.
NASCAR won by showing the world of the solidarity between its teams and drivers, letting everyone know that inequality will not be tolerated, when they pushed the 43 to the end of pit road on Monday, and stood with Wallace. The sport gained many new fans, of all creeds, by this act of solidarity. The sanctioning body took action, now they are dealing with the reaction. Unfortunately it isn’t a positive reaction so far from many. But, with the people I personally know in the sport, track staffs imparticular, will be nothing short of professional in dealing with this backlash that is happening and will rise above this challenge and make the sport stronger than ever. In my opinion we all need to let this go, race on, and do our respective part to make this beloved sport of ours better, no matter what it is.
As my late grandmother always told me “You can’t go forward looking out of the rear view mirror”. If many continue to look at what happened at Talladega and harp on it, we won’t get anywhere.
Let’s Race….