Reports circulating that race car driver Bubba Wallace’s radio channel was hacked compelled NASCAR to open an investigation.
Motorsport reported that someone hacked into Wallace’s 23XI Racing team radio channel during the race and made a derogatory statement to the racer. Wallace is NASCAR’s only Black driver in the Cup series; the person allegedly said, “Go back to where you came from, you a**hole. You’re not wanted in NASCAR.”
According to NBC Chicago, NASCAR spokesman Mike Forde stated earlier this week that the series promptly contacted the security and racing electronic teams so they could look into the hack. The racing organization also said it is trying to determine who was responsible for breaking into the radio channel of Wallace’s team. Finding out will help them determine the best way to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Forde reiterated that the investigation is ongoing, and despite what was said, this would have taken place regardless of the nature of the comment.
“We certainly take that seriously, no doubt about that,” he remarked. “But we can’t have fans interfering with team radio and potential competition implications.”
There was no immediate response from Wallace or his 23XI Racing team.
After the race, with Wallace placing second, the race car driver was seen sticking up a middle finger in the direction of the cameras as he was about to be interviewed, which stirred immediate reactions from fans, causing them to boo him.
The Sacramento Bee reported that after Wallace raised his left middle left finger and “flipped the
bird” on live television, some expected some punishment, but NASCAR announced there would be no action taken against Wallace. The league said Wallace informed them that he had directed the gesture toward a friend and that there was no malice behind the move.RELATED CONTENT: ‘Crossed the Line’: Black Nascar Driver Bubba Wallace Gets Suspended for Altercation After Mid-Race Crash