23XI Racing president speaks out after fan hijacks Bubba Wallace's radio with racist comments
23XI Racing president Steve Lauletta has spoken out after Bubba Wallace was subject to a racist remark from a fan on his radio channel following Sunday’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
“And unfortunately not the first time, still waiting for a time when EVERYONE will be treated with the same level of respect,” Lauletta wrote on Twitter Monday. “All of us @23XIRacing will keep pushing to provide @BubbaWallace all he needs to succeed on and off the track #ForwardTogether.”
The incident occurred in the aftermath of Wallace’s runner-up finish to Kyle Larson in the race for $1 million. A fan keyed into his radio channel, leaving a derogatory message.
“Go back to where you came from you a******. You’re not wanted in NASCAR,” the person said.
NASCAR is investigating the incident to determine who the individual is that gained access to the radio channel and how. A 23XI Racing spokesperson told Motorsport that Wallace did not hear or acknowledge the comments at the time.
Additionally, Wallace won’t face any penalties for giving the camera the middle finger during a post-race interview with FOX Sports. Bob Pockrass reported on NASCAR’s ruling Monday.
“Bubba Wallace won’t be penalized for flipping the bird on pit road after the race,” Pockrass wrote on Twitter. “It is NASCAR’s understanding he was gesturing to a friend and while inappropriate, it wasn’t done malicious.”
Bubba Wallace comes up short in All-Star Race
Wallace, the only full-time African American driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, continued his momentum with the P2 finish at North Wilkesboro. After an up-and-down start to his 2023 campaign, Wallace notched top 5s at Kansas and Darlington heading into the All-Star Race. Though the P2 result won’t help in the points standings, Wallace said he’s “excited” about where he and his team are.
“He could attack hard and have something there in the end,” Wallace said of Larson. “If this was a normal race, something to be excited about – but this was for a $1 million… You come up short and walk away with nothing. Tail tucked between our legs, but all-in-all, just continue to ride the momentum train. We came up one spot short. Congrats to Larson. He’s been on a rail lately.
“Now we show up to our home turf. We have to keep the momentum rolling there and get ourselves deeper into the playoffs. I’m excited to be where we are at right now.”