Bubba Wallace booed at Bristol All-Star Race qualifier, Angry Internet says 'NASCAR fans suck'
It was not a very good day for Bubba Wallace. The NASCAR driver was hoping to either race his way into the All-Star Race in the qualifier before the main event at Bristol Motor Speedway or qualify for the exhibition event by winning the fan vote on July 15. However, it was just seven laps into the qualifying event when Michael McDowell in the No. 34 Ford turned to Wallace and pushed his No. 43 Chevrolet into the wall, destroying the car.
"People say he’s one of the nicest guys in the garage, can’t wait for the God-fearing text that he’s going to send me about preaching and praise and respect," Wallace said to Fox Sports after he was checked out at the infield care center. "What a joke he is."
The two drivers were in the qualifying race because neither driver won a race in 2019 or in 2020. McDowell started first but fell back in the race’s opening laps and was desperately trying to maintain his track position. He also took himself out with the move as his car went spinning off William Byron.
However, Wallace's misfortune started much earlier when the spectators at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee, booed Wallace as he was introduced at the beginning of the qualifying event. The hate was directed at Wallace following reports of a noose found in his garage in the aftermath of the George Floyd protests. The FBI later ruled out hate crime in this case. This led to people criticizing Wallace on social media as "fake" and questioning his integrity. Many spectators also cheered when Wallace crashed out of the qualifying event.
Wallace's angry fans took to social media to call out the Bristol spectators while expressing their support for the race car driver. One user tweeted, "@BubbaWallace you got the loudest boos and cheers, but it saddens me that they were in the order of your introduction and crash. I can’t imagine what you go through. Keep up the fight! I can tell you me and the kids cheered then booed. #IStandWithBubba."
Another wrote, "It made me so mad today that when bubba Wallace got introduced today and everyone booed him really pissed me off and makes me not want to tell people that I’m a NASCAR fan also didn’t like the fact that when bubba wrecked everyone cheered guess what I’m saying is NASCAR fans suck." A fan tweeted, "For those of you that just booed@BubbaWallace when he was introduced at Bristol... F*** YOU! The hate in your heart is pathetic and you need to find light and be a better human."
A user opined, "No surprised fans mostly from southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee booed Bubba Wallace. People here are awful." While another wrote, "Bummer to hear @BubbaWallace was booed at Bristol, although I can’t say I’m surprised. Not all of us in central Appalachia feel that way. We stand with you." A fan shared, "I don’t tweet often but I’m at the NASCAR race In Bristol tonight and the crowd booed Bubba Wallace when he was announced... That's the f***ing world we’re in... #IStandWithBubba."