Bubba Wallace's Vaccine Car Sparks Controversy in NASCAR Heartland

NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace is prepared for backlash as his No. 23 Toyota Camry will feature sponsorship from Kroger Health and Nuvaxovid, a COVID-19 vaccine, for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Wallace acknowledged the car's messaging, particularly in a Republican stronghold like Alabama, is likely to incite strong opinions.

"People are going to lose their minds over the COVID-19 stuff," Wallace said when asked about the potential reaction. He added, "Everyone else can make their own in lines, but we're all in it together to help everybody's health."

The partnership aims to educate the public about health initiatives, including flu shots, with Wallace stating, "for us it's about building opportunities for people to be more educated on getting their flu shots, and then taking care of their health and moving forward with that."

Wallace, who is the only Black driver in the Cup Series, has been at the center of politically charged moments in NASCAR before. In 2020, he successfully advocated for NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag from all its events, a decision that led to protests outside Talladega.

Also in 2020, a rope tied in the style of a noose was found in Wallace's garage at Talladega. While an FBI investigation concluded no hate crime was committed and the rope had been present long before Wallace was assigned the garage, the incident drew commentary from then-President Donald Trump. Trump inaccurately claimed the incident was a hoax and that the flag ban had caused low ratings.

NASCAR and fellow drivers publicly supported Wallace during that controversy. Drivers walked behind Wallace's car in a show of solidarity, and NASCAR released a statement commending his "courage and leadership."

Wallace, who is competing in NASCAR's playoff format, The Chase, is currently 12th in the standings with three races remaining in the season.