"It’s always a journey" - Bubba Wallace Jr. feels 'the culture is changing' in NASCAR concerning diversity and inclusion

Bubba Wallace Jr., in many ways, has been to NASCAR what Lewis Hamilton has been to F1. Both drivers, aside from being of African-American descent, have been pioneers in their respective sports.

Both Wallace Jr. and Hamilton are the only people of color who represent their communities in the highest echelon of motor sports in their respective genres. The Mobile, Alabama native shot into the limelight after a chain of incidents that unfolded in 2020.

Since then, the 23XI Racing driver has been at the forefront of fighting for causes such as racial discrimination, depression and inclusion within society. The 28-year-old's latest endeavor towards his cause of inclusion and diversity came in the form of an alliance with LIEDOS.

LIEDOS is a science and technology leader based out of Reston, Virginia, which provides scientific, engineering and technical services amongst many others in its portfolio. Wallace Jr. commented on the newfound alliance and said:

"With all they do in the military field and embrace diversity and inclusion it aligns with our core values. Kids that are looking up to me they might not want to drive necessarily, but they want to be part of the sport and want to see a familiar face on the pit crew."

Bubba Wallace Jr., who graduated from the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, is only the eighth African-American driver to have participated full time in the NASCAR Cup Series. The program since then has inducted more than 55 people of color into the sport with a 100% placement rate.

Wallace Jr. reflected on this change of pace and elaborated:

"I think the culture is changing. But having a set answer, you never really know. It's a journey. Because if you have an answer, then that means we have a destination, I don't think this process ever has a destination. It's always a journey. And you're going to cross a path that you have to figure out how to navigate through."

Bubba Wallace Jr. made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2018, and has been the first African-American driver to do so since Wendell Scott in 1971.

LIEDOS' take on alliance with NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace Jr.

Top managers at LIEDOS believe the partnership between the organization and Bubba Wallace Jr. shares a common vision. Desira Stears, the Strategic Diversity Outreach Director at LEIDOS, elaborated on the topic, saying:

"Inclusion is the foundation, where you have people coming into an environment where they feel welcomed, they feel engaged and they feel connected. It's a common vision Wallace, 23XI Racing, and LEIDOS share."

Catch the 23XI Racing driver in action this weekend at the Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter at World Wide Technology Raceway.