Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan has become the owner of a NASCAR stable. He recruited pilot Bubba Wallace.
Michael Jordan is embarking on a new sport. The Chicago Bulls legend has become the owner of a NASCAR stable. He recruited Bubba Wallace, the only black driver on the circuit and one of the symbols of the “Black Lives Matter” movement in a sport known to be very conservative. “His Airness” will own the majority of the shares in the new franchise, with former pilot Denny Hamlin as a minority partner.
“When I was a kid in North Carolina, my parents took my brothers, sisters and I to races, and I’ve always been a Nascar fan,” said the 57-year-old American icon. my own racing team partnering with my friend Denny Hamlin and having Bubba Wallace behind the wheel is very exciting for me. “
“The Nascar has always struggled with diversity”
Jordan, considered the best basketball player in history and one of the greatest sportsmen of all time, already owns the Charlotte Hornets NBA team.
“Historically, the NASCAR has always struggled with diversity and there have been few black owners, also argued Jordan. The timing seems perfect as the NASCAR is evolving and adapting more and more to social change. from the recent commitment and donations I have made to tackling systemic racism, I see this as a chance to educate a new audience and open more opportunities for blacks in racing. “
Wallace will be the backbone of the team. The 26-year-old had recently confirmed that he would no longer race for Richard Petty Motosports. Wallace has repeatedly spoken out against racism in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis, and in June called on NASCAR leaders to ban the Confederate flag from the circuit. This flag has long been displayed on the NASCAR tracks in the southern United States, but it remains for many a symbol of slavery and racism. It was subsequently banned.
