Bubba Wallace Takes Pot Shot At NASCAR Driver Who Quit Over Confederate Flag Ban

NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace just took a shot at NASCAR Truck Series driver Ray Ciccarelli. Last week, the 50-year-old racer announced that he would leave racing because of NASCAR’s new guidelines that included a ban on the confederate flag. NASCAR’s new guidelines also allow drivers and crew to kneel during the national anthem.

Ray Ciccarelli’s Initial Reaction to NASCAR Confederate Flag Ban

After NASCAR’s knee jerk reaction to Bubba Wallace’s call for a Confederate flag ban, Ciccarelli had this to say:

“I don’t believe in kneeling during Anthem nor taken ppl right to fly what ever flag they love,” he said at the time. “I could care less about the Confederate Flag, but there are ppl that do and it doesn’t make them a racist all you are doing is (expletive) one group to cater to another and i ain’t spend the money we are to participate in any political BS!! So everything is for SALE!!”

Bubba Wallace Fires Back

This week, the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports driver fired back. Wallace disrespected Ciccarelli by saying the Truck Series driver’s opinion “doesn’t really count.”

“I’ve only seen one driver, and I wouldn’t really call him a competitor. I haven’t really seen him much on the track,” Wallace said of Ciccarelli. “The guys I’m racing with, my peers, they’re supportive of NASCAR and supportive of my stance on everything and that means a lot. One driver I haven’t heard much about in years doesn’t really count, doesn’t really matter.”

But Wallace drew some scrutiny, too:

Ciccarelli himself has since backtracked a bit, citing the abuse that he and his family have received in the wake of his announcement.

“My wife, my family have been attacked and abused on social media,” he said, according to TMZ. “It’s just heartbreaking.”

NASCAR’s Ray Ciccarelli Clarifies His Stance On Confederate Flag

Ciccarelli went on to point out that he has never supported the confederate flag. Instead, he supports the right of people to fly whatever flag they choose.

“In no way shape or form was I defending the Confederate flag,” he said. “Everything I was saying was the fact that I understand both sides’ feelings toward the flag.”

“My viewpoint, all I was trying to say is how do you take [the flag] from one group and help support the group that it offends and then what do you do to the group that you took it from? Now, they get outraged,” Ciccarelli added.

The driver then explained that his issue is solely with NASCAR implementing these guidelines “out of left field.”

“I had seen the news thing come through referring to, NASCAR now allows you to kneel during the anthem, It just irritated me some,” Ciccarelli said. “I believe in standing for the national anthem, and I believe that if you want to kneel during the anthem, you should kneel.”It just kind of triggered me, because we’re being told you can’t kneel, now you can kneel,” he continued. “It just set me off.”

James Conrad

James Conrad’s passion for politics is only overshadowed by his longstanding interest in Hollywood. His unique perspective as a gay conservative fuels him to challenge celebrity views and those who think they have a right to tell anyone how to think or vote. James proudly wields his minority point of view to combat identity politics and cut through his typecast. Fun fact: James’ guilty pleasure is the British royal family.