His shirt bore the text "I can't breath", the last words George Floyd uttered during the Minneapolis police raid almost two weeks ago. He died on the scene, which led to unrest and protests throughout the United States.
In conjunction with the warm-up, the 40 drivers stopped to listen to a speech that Nascar President Steve Phelps gave via the radio communication in the cars.
- Thank you for taking your time. Our country in pain and people are upset on the right grounds and demand to be listened to. The black population and other minorities linked to color have suffered in our country and it has taken far too long for us to hear their demands for change. Our sport must do better. "Our country must do better," Phelps said, AP reports.
All the 40 stables were lined up in their areas and 30 seconds of silence followed. A black Nascar official went down on one knee in the meantime.