THERE.
GABE GUTIERREZ IN MINNEAPOLIS
FOR US.
THANK YOU.
>>> LET’S TURN TO A NEW ERA IN
NASCAR NOW.
AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, THE
SPORT IS TAKING A STAND, BANNING
THE DISPLAY OF CONFEDERATE FLAGS
AT ALL EVENTS.
THAT FLAG HAD BEEN A BIT OF A
FIXTURE IN NASCAR’S SOUTHERN
CULTURE FOR DECADES.
LAST NIGHT, BUBBA WALLACE, THE
ONLY FULL-TIME AFRICAN-AMERICAN
DRIVER, AND THE ONE WHO CALLED
FOR THAT CHANGE, TOOK TO THE
TRACK AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
IN A STOCK CAR EMBLAZONED WITH
THE HASHTAG "BLACK LIVES
MATTER."
BEFORE THE RACE, BUBBA TALKED
ABOUT THE BIG MOMENT.
>> PROBABLY THE BIGGEST RACE OF
MY CAREER RIGHT HERE.
I’M EXCITED ABOUT IT.
I’M READY FOR IT.
I HAVEN’T REALLY SLEPT MUCH,
THINKING ABOUT THIS RACE, JUST
EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING INTO
IT, GOING ON AROUND THE WORLD.
TRYING TO RACE TO CHANGE THE
WORLD HERE.
>> BUBBA WALLACE JOINS US THIS
MORNING.
GOOD TO SEE YOU, BUBBA.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
GOOD MORNING.
>> YOU CALLED FOR THE FLAG TO BE
BANNED ON MONDAY.
NASCAR BANS THE FLAG ON
WEDNESDAY.
WERE YOU SURPRISED AT ALL BY THE
SPEED WITH WHICH NASCAR MOVED?
WHAT DOES IT SAY TO YOU ABOUT
THE MOMENT WE’RE IN, THAT THEY
DID IT SO FAST?
>> I WOULDN’T SAY SURPRISED.
WE HAD STARTED HAVING THOSE
CONVERSATIONS STARTING LAST
WEEK, TALKING TO STEVE PHELPS,
THE PRESIDENT OF NASCAR, BEING
VERY VOCAL WITH HIM.
HE IS A GREAT FRIEND OF MINE.
I TOLD HIM, WE’RE FRIENDS HERE.
I’M GOING TO CROSS THE LINE, AND
IF I DO, WE HAVE TO WORK
TOGETHER TO GET THROUGH IT, BUT
WE HAVE GOT TO GET RID OF THIS
FLAG.
I’VE SEEN TOO MANY COMMENTS AND
TOO MANY STORIES FROM FIRST-TIME
FANS THAT COME TO A RACE IN
YEARS PAST, AND THE FIRST THING
THEY SAY IS SEEING THE
CONFEDERATE FLAG FLYING AND MADE
THEM FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE.
IT IS, LIKE, WE SHOULDN’T HAVE
ANYBODY FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE.
WE SHOULD ALL -- YOU KNOW, IT IS
NOT A RACE THING.
IT IS ABOUT WALKING INTO AN
EVENT AND FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE.
THAT’S IT.
IF YOU FELT UNCOMFORTABLE, YOU’D
WANT CHANGE.
I’M SPEAKING UP FOR THE PEOPLE
THAT SHOW UP TO THE RACETRACK
THAT FEEL THAT TYPE OF WAY.
SO IT’S A LOT OF KUDOS TO
NASCAR.
HATS OFF TO EVERYBODY INVOLVED,
FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN AND
PUSHING THE ENVELOPE, PUSHING
THE MESSAGE ACROSS.
WE WANT CHANGE.
IT STARTS WITH US.
WE HAVE TO START FROM BASICALLY
THE ROOTS.
GO FROM GROUND UP AND REALLY
IMPLEMENT WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO
SAY IN OUR MESSAGE.
>> FOR FOLKS NOT FAMILIAR WITH
THE SPORT, IT IS A SPORT THAT IS
STEEPED IN SOUTHERN CULTURE.
GOT ITS START BECAUSE GUYS WERE
RUNNING LIQUOR, AND HAD TO
OUTFIT THEIR CARS TO MAKE THEM
FASTER, TO GET AWAY FROM THE
COPS.
THE FLAG, THE RACES I’VE BEEN
TO, AS A FAN AND AS A
JOURNALIST, THAT FLAG IS
EVERYWHERE.
IT IS ON SHIRTS.
IT’S IN THE INFIELD.
HOW IS THE SPORT GOING TO
ENFORCE THIS BAN?
ARE YOU AT ALL CONCERNED THAT IT
IS GOING TO BE A BAN IN NAME
ONLY?
>> NO.
I’M PRETTY SURE THAT WE’LL TAKE
REALLY STRICT MEASURES TO NOT
ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.
IF IT DOESN’T, THEN THERE WILL
BE ANOTHER CONVERSATION THAT I
WILL HAVE.
SO I’M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT
NASCAR IS PLANNING ON THIS.
I KNOW FANS ARE STARTING TO BE
ALLOWED TO COME BACK HERE IN A
COUPLE WEEKS.
IT’LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE.
THERE’S A LOT OF THINGS
UNFOLDING FOR OUR SPORT AND FOR
OUR NATION, REALLY, FOR THE
WORLD.
WE’RE ALL KIND OF PIECING IT
TOGETHER, DAY BY DAY.
WE’LL JUST CONTINUE TO PUSH ON
AND FIGHT FOR WHAT’S RIGHT.
>> IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE
LION’S SHARE OF YOUR FELLOW
DRIVERS SEEM TO BE ON BOARD WITH
THIS.
THERE IS THE PART-TIME TRUCK
SERIES DRIVER THAT CAME OUT
OVERNIGHT, SAID HE IS GOING TO
RETIRE AT THE END OF THE SEASON
BECAUSE OF NASCAR’S DECISION.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO HIM, IF HE
IS WATCHING OR LISTENING?
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO OTHER
FOLKS WHO HAVE SAID, FOR YEARS
NOW, THAT THE FLAG IS ABOUT
HERITAGE, NOT HATE?
>> YEAH.
I’VE SEEN THAT COMMENT.
I WAS KIND OF BAFFLED BY IT,
HONESTLY.
I THINK YOU JUST SOLIDIFY HIS
CAREER, NO LONGER BEING A PART
OF NASCAR.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE NASCAR TO STEP
UP AND LOOK AT THAT, IF HE TRIES
TO REINSTATE.
YEAH, I’VE SEEN A COMMENT WHERE,
TO MOST, IT’S A SIGN OF
HERITAGE, BUT TO A LARGE GROUP
OF PEOPLE, IT’S A SIGN OF HATE
AND OPPRESSION AND JUST A LOT OF
NEGATIVE AND BAD THINGS THAT
COME TO MIND.
AND WE’RE NOT SAYING YOU CAN’T
EVER FLY IT AT YOUR HOUSE.
YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.
WHEN IT COMES TO A SPORTING
EVENT, WHERE WE WANT ALL RACES,
EVERYBODY TO BE INCLUDED,
INCLUSION IS WHAT WE’RE TRYING
TO ACCOMPLISH HERE.
WE’RE TRYING FOR UNITY.
BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER, ENJOY
A SPORTING EVENT.
CHEER ON THEIR FAVORITE DRIVER.
NOT BE SHY AND INTROVERTED
ABOUT -- OR BECAUSE THEY SEE A
CONFEDERATE FLAG FLYING.
THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE LIFE
TO THE FULLEST WITH NOTHING
HOLDING THEM BACK.
IF THE FLAG IS HOLDING THEM
BACK, THEN LET’S JUST TAKE IT
DOWN FOR THE SPORTING EVENT.
WE’RE NOT SAYING GET RID OF IT
FROM YOUR LIFE COMPLETELY.
>> BUBBA, YOU PROBABLY PICKED UP
A WHOLE NEW SLEW OF FANS
YESTERDAY.
YOU REALIZE THAT, RIGHT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I TOLD EVERYBODY, WE HAD A LOT
OF FIRST-TIME WATCHERS LAST
NIGHT, WHICH WAS SUPER
INCREDIBLE.
A LOT FROM THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
COMMUNITY THAT WOULD NEVER GIVE
NASCAR A CHANCE.
THERE’S SO MANY COMMENTS I READ.
THEY WERE ALL SAYING HOW
NASCAR’S APPROACH TO EVERYTHING
HAS OPENED THEIR EYES.
PEOPLE ASKING -- I THINK MY
FAVORITE ONE WAS ALVIN KAMARA,
FORMER TENNESSEE VOLS, PLAYS FOR
THE SAINTS, ASKING WHEN THE NEXT
RACE WAS.
HE WAS TUNING IN.
HE WAS GIVEN A LAP-BY-LAP
UPDATE.
INCREDIBLE.
EVERYBODY WAS TUNED IN LAST
NIGHT.
IT WAS A BIG WATCHING PARTY.
HOPEFULLY THAT’S FOR THE FUTURE,
AS WELL.
WE ENCOURAGE ALL BACKGROUNDS,
ALL RACES TO COME IN AND ENJOY
OUR CRAZY SPORT.
IT IS ACTION-PACKED FROM THE
DROP OF THE GREEN FLAG TO THE
DROP OF THE CHECKERED FLAG.
>> BUBBA WALLACE, TRAIL BLAZER