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NASCAR released a statement on Sunday evening saying it was investigating a noose found in Bubba Wallace's garage stall at the Talladega Speedway in Lincoln, Alabama.
NASCAR said it would "do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport."
Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports shared the statement:
Wallace, who was the first Black driver since Wendell Scott in 1963 to win a NASCAR event when he won on the truck series at Martinsville in 2013, also released a statement on his Twitter account:
The driver wrote in part: "As my mother told me today, 'They are just trying to scare you.' This will not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down. I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe in."
NBA star LeBron James publicly supported Wallace:
ESPN's Marty Smith reported on SportsCenter that Wallace himself didn't see the noose and that somebody on his team found it in the garage stall.
The act of hatred and racism comes in the wake of NASCAR banning the Confederate flag from its events and racetracks earlier in June. Wallace had publicly advocated for the removal of the flag.
"No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race. It starts with Confederate flags," he said on June 9, per Amir Vera and Steve Almasy of CNN. "Get them out of here. They have no place for them."
That decision has been met with some backlash among certain NASCAR fans, which included displays of the Confederate flag outside of Sunday's weather-postponed Geico 500:
Per ESPN, "Vehicles lined the boulevard outside Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama, waving the flag and a plane flew above the track towing a banner of the Confederate flag that said 'Defund NASCAR.'"
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is joining his late father as a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, along with Mike Stefanik and Red Farmer in the Class of 2021.
Farmer was inducted from the Pioneer Ballot, while Earnhardt Jr. and Stefanik were inducted from the Modern Era ballot. Ralph Seagraves was given the 2021 Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
"It was great to see my face pop up on that screen," Earnhardt Jr. said of learning the news Tuesday, per NBCSN's broadcast. "... I got really shook up, and it was extremely emotional to get nominated."
He continued:
"Not a lot of people are like this, but I really work off affirmation—I succeed off affirmation—and there's no better compliment or affirmation than from your peers and the people that you work with and work around.
"This is such a great pat on the back for a lot of hard work and a lot of years in the sport, trying to do the right thing for the yourself, your sponsors but most importantly for the health of the sport. I'm feeling great about this experience and looking forward to what lies ahead, the evening itself and the ceremony. It'll be a great experience and I’ll be excited."
Earnhardt Jr. had 26 total wins and two Xfinity Series titles in his career. He won the Daytona 500 twice (2004, 2014) and was voted the most popular Series driver an incredible 15 times. He and his father are now the sixth father-son duo in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
He earned 76 percent of the vote.
Stefanik was a seven-time Whelen Modified Tour champion and a two-time Busch North Series champion. He was the 1999 Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year and was voted the most popular driver seven times between the Featherlite Modified Series and Busch North Series.
He died in a plane crash in 2019.
Farmer was a part of the famous Alabama Gang, a group of NASCAR drivers who operated out of Hueytown, Alabama, in the 1950s. He won four championships in four different divisions and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers in 1998.
Incredibly, even at the age of 87, Farmer is still racing.
Seagraves most famously brought tobacco manufacturer RJ Reynolds into the fold as NASCAR's title sponsor. Between 1971-2003, the sport's premier division was named the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.
Fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. suggested Saturday's Xfinity Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway may have been his last one.
"I don't know how many more of these I'll do," Earnhardt said, per Jerry Bonkowski of NBC Sports. "This might be the last one. This ain't no tease or anything. I'm not trying to be annoying about that. It's just a lot of commitment and I don't know. It's getting to the point where I've got to decide whether I'm helping things or I'm not helping the team, can I help the team in other ways."
Bonkowski noted Earnhardt has not competed in a NASCAR Cup race since November 2017 and has made three Xfinity Series starts since then, with one in 2018, one in 2019 and one this year.
He has not finished better than fourth place.
Earnhardt is a national broadcaster for the sport and has a weekly Dale Jr. Download podcast.
He also revealed he was feeling quite anxious prior to Saturday's race and may shift to broadcasting full time instead of occasionally appearing in the Xfinity Series.
Earnhardt competed in the NASCAR Cup Series for 19 years from 1999 through 2017 and tallied 26 victories and 260 top-10 finishes. He also has 24 wins in 24 years of NASCAR Xfinity Series races with the last one coming in 2016.
He is one of 15 nominees to be selected for the NASCAR Hall of Fame class of 2021.
If chosen, he would join his legendary father in the Hall.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Carl Edwards are among the 15 members on NASCAR's Hall of Fame class of 2021 nominee list, which the organization announced Tuesday.
The NASCAR balloting system is split into two parts: Modern and Pioneer. Those on the latter ballot are honored for their achievements if their career started 60 or more years ago (i.e., 1961 for this class).
NASCAR will induct three members into its Hall of Fame: two from the Modern ballot and one from the Pioneer ballot.
Joining Earnhardt Jr. and Edwards on the Modern ballot are Neil Bonnett, Jeff Burton, Harry Gant, Harry Hyde, Larry Phillips, Ricky Rudd, Kirk Shelmerdine and Mike Stefanik.
Jake Elder, Red Farmer, Banjo Matthews, Hershel McGriff and Ralph Moody make up the Pioneer list.
Janet Guthrie, who is the first woman ever to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series superspeedway race, headlines a list of five nominees for the Landmark Award, which NASCAR.com writes "was introduced to honor significant contributions to the growth and esteem of NASCAR."
As for Earnhardt Jr. and Edwards, both have strong cases to get in on the first ballot.
Earnhardt Jr. is a two-time Busch Series champion winner (1998 and 1999) and two-time Daytona 500 winner (2004 and 2014). He also won the Bill France Award of Excellence in 2017, named after former NASCAR CEO Bill France Jr.
Brian France, an ex-NASCAR Chairman and CEO himself and Bill's son, presented the award with the following remarks:
"This award is not given out every year. It's for the ultimate achievement and contribution in the sport they love. Sometimes it's on the track and sometimes it's off the track. Every once in a while, it's both. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the recipient tonight, and he is very deserving."
Earnhardt Jr. is also a 15-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award winner.
Known for his celebratory backflips off his car or truck following wins, Edwards won the 2007 Busch series championship and 28 races overall, including a career-high nine in 2008. He registered 220 top-10 finishes over a 13-year NASCAR Cup Series career.
Edwards also had a habit of producing back-to-back wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, doing so on six occasions.
The Missouri native was also quite consistent, finishing fifth or better in the points race six times and never lower than 15th during any of his full seasons behind the wheel.
Furthermore, Edwards also excelled in the Xfinity and Truck series, winning a combined 44 races in those events.
Denny Hamlin was driving donuts on the track, Dale Earnhardt Jr. just missed a first-place finish and Homestead-Miami Speedway was rocking during an intense final lap.
It was almost enough to forget it was all a simulation.
Hamlin came out on top in the inaugural eNASCAR iRace, featuring drivers all connected to a simulator and racing each other to raise funds for charities related to the coronavirus pandemic. Hamlin, in particular, had said he'll donate $100 for each lap he led during the 100-lap race and another $5,000 if he won the whole thing. That money will go to help those in the Miami area, where the real Homestead is based.
“It’s always fun when you win,” Hamlin said in a teleconference after the race via NBC Sports. “Regardless, it was a great event for the racing community and the NASCAR drivers to come together to put 20-some drivers together on such short notice. I think it definitely was a success.”
The race came down to a final stretch between Hamlin and Earnhardt Jr. with Hamlin pulling ahead in the final seconds as Timmy Hill finished third with Chase Briscoe in fourth and Garrett Smithley in fifth.
Here's the best from NASCAR's exhibition:
The race featured a heavy-hitting lineup of NASCAR personalities including Bobby Labonte, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowki, Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as part of the 35-car lineup.
Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds were all on the call for the Fox Sports 1 broadcast.
The Aug. 15 plane crash involving Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his family was caused by a mechanical malfunction.
Per Natalie Neysa Alund of the Tennessean, the National Transportation Safety Board report announced a landing gear collapse was the source of the crash:
"The airplane bounced twice, then continued airborne down runway 24 until it touched down a third time with about 1,000 ft of paved surface remaining. The video revealed that the right main landing gear collapsed and the outboard section of the right wing contacted the runway shortly after the third touchdown. The airplane departed the paved surface beyond the runway 24 departure end threshold, through an open area of grass, down an embankment, through a chain-link fence, and up an embankment, coming to rest on the edge of Tennessee Highway 91."
The report also noted a fire was in progress following the accident as members of the flight crew were evacuating passengers through the main entry door.
Earnhardt, his wife Amy and their daughter Isla were taken to Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee where they were treated for minor injuries.
Responding to a fan question on Twitter this week, Earnhardt said his back is sore but he still intends to compete in the Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200:
The Aug. 31 race at Darlington will be Earnhardt's first NASCAR event since an Xfinity Series race at Richmond last September. He retired from full-time competition following the 2017 season.
Former NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. provided an update on his health Wednesday following his involvement in a plane crash last week.
Earnhardt said that although his back is bruised and swollen, he still plans to race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Darlington Raceway on Aug. 31:
While Earnhardt retired as a full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup Series at the conclusion of the 2017 season, he competed in one Xfinity race last year, and Darlington is his only scheduled Xfinity race in 2019.
Earnhardt, his wife Amy and their 15-month-old daughter Isla avoided serious injury when their plane crash-landed and ran off the runway in Tennessee last week en route to Bristol Motor Speedway.
The 44-year-old Earnhardt tweeted the following statement this week, marking the first time he had spoken publicly since the crash:
Although Earnhardt is retired as a full-time active driver, he is still heavily involved in the sport. In addition to his plan to compete in the Xfinity Series this weekend, Earnhardt owns an Xfinity team called JR Motorsports, and he is also a NASCAR analyst for NBC.
During his NASCAR career, the son of the late legendary driver Dale Earnhardt won 26 times in the Cup Series and 24 times in the Xfinity Series. Earnhardt Jr.'s best finish in the Cup Series point standings was third in 2003, and he twice won point titles in the Xfinity Series.
Additionally, Earnhardt was named NASCAR's most popular driver for 15 consecutive years from 2003-2017.
When Earnhardt raced for JR Motorsports at Richmond last season, he qualified second, led 96 laps and finished fourth.
Health permitting, Earnhardt will look to improve upon that performance when he takes part in this year's Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at Darlington.
On Monday, former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. released a statement thanking supporters and updating the status of his family following their plane crash at Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Elizabethton, Tennessee:
"Amy and I want to thank everyone who has lifted us up with phone calls, messages and prayer since last Thursday. We are truly blessed that all on board escaped with no serious injuries, including our daughter, our two pilots and our dog Gus. With respect to the investigation, we will not be speculating or discussing the cause of the accident. I am thankful for the quick response of my pilots, local law enforcement, emergency personnel and hospital staff. Lastly, Amy and I continue to be very appreciative of the privacy extended to us to process everything. It has been important to do that together and on our own time."
Steve Almasy, Dave Alsup and David Close of CNN reported on the crash, noting the Federal Aviation Administration said the private jet rolled off the runway and caught fire. The two pilots and three passengers escaped serious injury, although Earnhardt was briefly hospitalized.
Kelley Earnhardt, who is the co-owner of JR Motorsports and Earnhardt’s sister, tweeted that Dale was safe, as was his wife, Amy, and daughter, Isla.
According to Madeline Holcombe of CNN, NASCAR responded to the crash by providing free tickets to the first responders from the Carter County Tennessee Sheriff's Office for the Bristol Motor Speedway night race.
Earnhardt was scheduled to attend the race as well but instead spent time with his family following the crash.
While former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his family were all right after a plane crash Thursday, they survived a horrific scene.
The National Transportation Safety Board is reviewing the incident and has obtained surveillance tape of what happened at the end of the crash in Tennessee.
"The airplane basically bounced at least twice before coming down hard on the right main landing gear," lead investigator Ralph Hicks said in a news conference Friday.
Hicks also said the plane traveled through the runway and went through a fence before coming to a stop on the highway. ABC News captured video of the plane on Highway 91.
"It's just the grace of the good Lord that a vehicle didn't get struck by the plane," Elizabethton police chief Jason Shaw said Thursday, per ESPN.
Earnhardt, his wife Amy and their one-year-old daughter were taken to a hospital as a precaution after the crash. Earnhardt had only minor injuries, per Slater Teague of News 11. The two pilots are also all right.
Hicks said the NTSB will continue investigating the crash but noted the pilots were professionally trained and there was no problem with visibility during the day.
