NASCAR Driver Bubba Wallace Lost an Actual Sponsorship Because He Rage-Quit in iRacing
There might not be any real on-track competitions going on right now thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, but the world of sim racing is flourishing. NASCAR is one of several championships that have set up virtual races to stand in the place of canceled events, and last Sunday's iRacing Pro Invitational event didn't go too well for Richard Petty Motorsports driver Bubba Wallace.
On lap 11 of the 150-lap race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Wallace was squeezed into the wall by Clint Bowyer who, shortly after, swung up into Wallace's virtual No. 43 Chevy Camaro, causing a messy wreck:
"C'MON, @BubbaWallace!"- @ClintBowyer pic.twitter.com/Zqne4HIPa5
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
Bowyer ended up facing the wrong way on the virtual track, but eventually merged back into the pack. Wallace, fed up with the contact, quit the race in a fit of anger. Here's the clip of him leaving (warning, explicit language within):
Bubba OUT. @ClintBowyer #NASCAR #ProInvitationalSeries pic.twitter.com/Oq7ggLBPi6
— Davin (@DriveThrough_) April 5, 2020
Wallace took to Twitter shortly after to reflect on fans' reactions to his rage quitting, but one of his real-world sponsors, Blue-Emu, wasn't having any of it. The company's official Twitter account responded by breaking ties with the driver:
GTK where you stand. Bye bye Bubba. We're interested in drivers, not quitters.
— Blue-Emu (@BlueEmu1) April 5, 2020
— Blue-Emu (@BlueEmu1) April 5, 2020
“We aren’t sponsoring Bubba anymore,” Ben Blessing, a Blue-Emu executive vice president, told Action Network. “Can you imagine if he did that in real life on a track?”
“I used to work in NASCAR and you aren’t going to find the dollar-for-dollar return on investment we were getting on this,” Blessing added. “We thought this was a blessing in disguise for us. But then you find out that you aren’t sponsoring a NASCAR driver, you are sponsoring someone like my 13-year-old son who broke his controller playing some game where he builds houses.”
Blessing told Action Network it sponsors races on a week-by-week basis, confirming Richard Petty Motorsports wouldn't invoice his company for last Sunday's virtual sponsorship, in light of the events that unfolded. Blessing says his company will continue to sponsor Shepherd Racing Ventures drier Landon Cassill.
It just goes to show, even if the racing isn't real, there are still consequences for your actions.
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