NASCAR is changing! NBA Icon Michael Jordan has formed his own team and he has tapped Bubba Wallace as the driver. More inside….
NASCAR has lacked diversity since it first began, but that all is changing.
NBA icon Michael Jordan has teamed up with NASCAR superstar Denny Hamlin to form a new racing team. And who do they recruit? Bubba Wallace – NASCAR’s only Black full-time driver – of course. Looks like NASCAR is getting the inclusivity it desperately needed.
Tonight, I’m excited to announce MJ and I are starting a new, single car @NASCAR Cup Series team for 2021. Deciding on a driver was easy - it had to be @BubbaWallace. pic.twitter.com/nIJv0X6ZOX
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) September 22, 2020
"Historically, NASCAR has struggled with diversity, and there have been few Black owners," Jordan said in a statement. "The timing seemed perfect, as NASCAR is evolving and embracing social change more and more."
The move puts MJ - part owner of the Charlotte Hornets - in the history books, yet again, as the first Black principal owner of a full-time Cup team since Hall of Famer Wendell Scott drove his own race car in 495 races from 1961 to 1973. ESPN reports:
Scott's 1964 victory at the Jacksonville 200 is the only win by a Black driver in Cup history.
The NBA great, who earlier this year pledged $100 million over 10 years for initiatives combating systemic racism, said the move into NASCAR is another step toward racial equality.
"I see this as a chance to educate a new audience and open more opportunities for Black people in racing," Jordan said. Jordan joins former NBA player Brad Daugherty, a partner at JTG Daugherty Racing, as the only Black owners at NASCAR's elite Cup level.
"Michael and Bubba can be a powerful voice together, not only in our sport but also well beyond it," Hamlin said.
Bubba made headlines when he successfully encouraged NASCAR to ban the display of the Confederate flag, following an incident where it was believed a noose had been found in Bubba’s garage.
Now he's on to BIGGER & BETTER things. Congrats!
EXTRAS:
1. Magic Johnson had to file a restraining order against a man he claims has been harrassing him for years. STORY
Photo: Grindstone Media Group/Shutterstock.com
source: theybf
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