The Ahmaud Arbery video was the final straw for me in being silent. That shook me to the core like nothing has in the past. Something flipped inside of me to be more vocal and stand up for racial equality and make sure we get a hold on that and change the face of this world and get it to a better place.Collection: Equality
Times get tough sometimes, you lose cool.Collection: Cool
I encourage people to have those tough conversations just to educate yourself on what goes on and how we can create equality in the world and grow together as one.Collection: Equality
We all bleed the same color. It hurts when we bleed.
For me, I just want to be a role model, put a positive impact on the kids that are watching the sport, that want to be a part of the sport, and leave a good everlasting impact on the sport, continue my legacy down the road.
The year 2020 will be one to forget for sure.
It all relies on teamwork. We could be running fifth all day, and we come down pit road for the last stop and the pit crew messes up, then we all go down and not just them.
This is a dream come true to race for 'The King' Richard Petty Motorsports, the iconic No. 43 and for all the fans and partners that have and continue to support this team.
We've all got to make sure we're all pulling in the same direction. That's what's going to keep us ahead of the ball. As soon as we start getting in the opposite direction, that's when we start getting behind, and the results will start to show.
I'm just a race car driver.
Black lives matter just as much as White lives matter, just as much as Hispanic lives matter.
When you sign up to become something, you're signing up to become something larger than yourself. Represent something more than yourself.
From Richard Petty to Andy Murstein, everybody at RPM is standing behind me and believing in me on track and also following me through this journey off track and letting me find my way and find my voice in standing up for what's right.
We want to be treated equally and not judged off our skin color.
I chase checkered flags.
I've stood for the national anthem ever since grade school. It's a patriotic thing for me. I understand what Colin Kaepernick and others are doing, but it's not for me.
We have a lot of guys from different backgrounds in pit crews and even in the front offices of NASCAR and race teams.
Creating unity and compassion and understanding of each of our brothers and sisters is so powerful. We have to preach that to the ones that don't want to listen and understand.
I've had my fair share of incidents with law enforcement, whether they're saying smart remarks, condescending remarks to downplay who I am and what I can afford... It's something that made me stronger on the back end of it, and learned from those instances.
I'll never be intimidated by somebody, and I will treat you will respect as long as I'm treated with respect.
No matter what faces you in life, always look up to God, and he will guide the way. You just have to walk that path very stern, and very proud.
I feel for everybody that goes through it because depression is real, and it doesn't take much to put you in that state of mind to where you think everybody's against you, you're up against the world and that's not true.
It's simple-minded people like that, the ones that are afraid of change, they use everything in their power to defend what they stand up for instead of trying to listen and understand what's going on.
People are entitled to their own opinion to make them feel good, to make them sleep at night.
Systemic racism is a problem from every aspect of life.
No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race.
That's a goal of mine and the sport. To become more diverse and change the demographic, bring in a new face.
Once we got to the race track, everybody called me Bubba - we created a brand around it. Now it's become a household name.
It's an honor to be driving the 43.
You know, it helps having an African American driver behind the wheel. I'm representing that culture and that background. But a lot of background pressure, I don't really put that on me. I know I have enough pressure to go out and perform every week.
Once we started racing, my dad had his own industrial cleaning business about twenty minutes from the house, so we kept our race cars there.
A typical off day for me, I'm hanging out at the house.
There's no need for me to go out there and try to set the world on fire, try to win races and put myself in a tough spot, not be able to capitalize on it. If the opportunity presents itself, yeah, we'll jump on it. There's no need for me to force a hole, end up tearing up a racecar.
I try to represent myself and my team the best that I can.
This is a team sport.
It's something we're trying to change and NASCAR is as a whole trying to bring in a younger fan base, a different-looking fan base, we're trying to change the whole demographic of the sport. Me going out to do that is something I'll take responsibility for.
I've already got 10,000 more eyes on me because I am of color and they're going to see what I can do in the top series. That's enough pressure in itself, so I don't need to add extra pressure.
From what I've learned I need to do, is let everything else go and focus on finishing the race and having fun.
I need to go out there and run my own race, and have fun with it.
We are ambassadors. We are leaders of our own brands, and then in life things are thrown at you, you have to stand up for what's right. That brings on a whole new role. It's not on the front of the agenda that you see, but if you read the fine print it's part of becoming an athlete and the pedestal you get with that.
We are much more than just drivers who drive a race car.
The encounters I had were very few, but they were powerful. The negative encounters I've had with law enforcement were very few, but they stood out.
Everybody's equal. Everybody should deserve the same opportunity, the same challenge, the same whatever.
Everybody should live their lives to the fullest with no hassles, no hold-backs, no matter what age, what color you are... I don't have an issue talking about it, taking the forefront of it.
Nobody loves finishing second, as we've seen in past races. It's a sport that you want to get everything you can out of it, but sometimes it just doesn't work out.
I'll go out there and prove to everybody that I belong to the Cup Series.
I definitely feel like I'm carrying on the legacy of the Scott family. What Wendell had to go through was extremely difficult, but he kept racing, kept fighting. Part of him will be with me when I'm out on the track.
I'm looking forward to it, to be able to represent the black culture... but I'm doing my best at managing it, keeping it behind me, and that's the best thing I can do.
I've been a part of this sport for a really long time.
I've hit a couple barriers out there on the racetrack growing up. There's definitely been some flak in the way. I've been able to handle that the best I could, ignore it, use that as motivation.