Kamara runs with Wallace
Homestead, Fla.
Bubba Wallace wore a mask in the colors of the American flag, his hand over his heart as he stood for the national anthem. This time, fans joined him.
On Sunday, 1,000 fans, mostly military members and their guests, were at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was the first time people were on that side of the fence at a NASCAR race since the coronavirus pandemic shut down sports worldwide. One of them was New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, who was wearing a T-shirt and cap with Wallace's name on them. Wallace, the only full-time black driver in the Cup Series, has essentially become the face of the movement that led to NASCAR's decision last week to ban the Confederate flag from tracks.
"He's got the weight of the world on his shoulders, being the only African-American driver and with what's going on with the climate of the world right now and taking a stand," Kamara said. "He's backed into a corner right now, and it takes a lot of courage to be in the place that he's in and still say, 'You know what, I'm going to stand up for what's right' instead of just being quiet."