Arts & Entertainment
NASCAR's Bubba Wallace Documentary Debuts On Netflix
Bubba Wallace is the only Black driver in NASCAR currently, and a new documentary follows him through his monumental first win.
![NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 winner Bubba Wallace walks the field in Alabama.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/getty/25555227/20220223/115921/styles/patch_image/public/gettyimages-1344845400___23115903524.jpg)
HUNTERSVILLE, NC — Bubba Wallace is the subject of a new documentary called "RACE," debuting on Netflix, that focuses on the driver both on and off the track.
Wallace signed with 23XI Racing, co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and NASCAR superstar Denny Hamlin, and is the only Black driver currently racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.
“This is unlike any project I’ve ever participated in; it’s a raw, emotional and completely transparent account of the events that took place throughout the 2020 and 2021 NASCAR seasons,” Wallace said in a statement. “With me, what you see is what you get. You’ll witness the peaks and valleys of the sport and see how one’s actions off the race track are just as important as the ones on it.”
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Wallace has been the subject of racial prejudice from fans of the series, frequently subject to racist slurs and other derogatory remarks on social media and other platforms.
Wallace supported NASCAR's move to ban the Confederate flag, also eliciting criticism.
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The series itself is six episodes long and focuses on 2021 with looks back at 2020 when Wallace was vaulted onto a national stage.
A crew member of the then 43 NASCAR Cup team reported a noose was discovered in the Talladega garage stall where Wallace's team was parked in 2020, prompting every driver and crew member in the field to show support for Wallace and decry racism. The noose turned out to be a rope tied as a garage pull, but was the only pull fashioned in a noose shape in the entire garage.
The incident became fodder for political blogs, television shows and pundits, causing Wallace to receive more hatred than ever before.
The series highlights some of what he went through off the track and why he chooses to remain vocal about social justice issues, especially those pertaining to race.
Jemele Hill, Michael Strahan and W. Kamau Bell all participate in the documentary to further enlighten viewers what it's like to be Black in American sports.
Wallace earned his first win at Talladega in 2021, and just finished in second place at the 2022 Daytona 500 last weekend. He also recently celebrated an engagement to his longtime partner Amber.
"RACE" is available now on Netflix to watch.
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