Columbia Sportswear Names NASCAR Driver Bubba Wallace an Ambassador
Columbia Sportswear is hitting the road.
The active outdoor lifestyle brand has entered into a multiyear sponsorship with NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace and Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet — the brand’s first NASCAR driver and team sponsorship.
“There has always been a strong correlation between NASCAR and Columbia, especially with PFG [Performance Fishing Gear],” said Columbia brand president Joe Boyle. “We are excited by the opportunity to work with Bubba and Richard Petty Motorsports to engage our shared fans.”
Boyle said its consumers, especially those who fish, hunt, hike and camp, are also passionate about racing. The brand considered partnerships with NASCAR in the past, but after meeting with Wallace and the Richard Petty Motorsports team, felt the timing was now right.
The Columbia No. 43 Chevrolet Camero will debut on Aug. 23 at the NASCAR Cup Series Drydene 311 at the Dover International Speedway.
“Columbia Sportswear is a perfect fit for my lifestyle away from the track,” Wallace said. “I love spending time outdoors — boating, golfing, hiking, photography — just anything to help me decompress from a hectic racing schedule. I’m beyond excited to be a part of the Columbia family and can’t wait to work with them on some unique content and fly their colors next weekend at Dover.”
Wallace, a 26-year-old driver from Mobile, Ala., is the only Black driver in NASCAR’s top racing series. He’s a six-time NASCAR national series winner and the highest finishing Black driver in the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400. He also became the first Black driver in almost 50 years to win a NASCAR national series race.
He was also in the news in June for his call to NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag at all of its events, as well as the rope that was found at his garage stall Talladega Superspeedway. An FBI investigation found that the rope, initially believed to be a noose, was actually a garage door pull.
Boyle added, “In addition to his racing talent, Bubba is a charismatic and courageous leader. It is his internal fortitude that most aligns with the Columbia brand and our tested tough ethos. Bubba is a tested tough trailblazer and we are thrilled to be working with him.”
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