Portland-Based Columbia Sportswear Announces Sponsorship Deal With NASCAR Star Bubba Wallace

The auto racing league’s only full-time Black driver, Wallace has achieved crossover fame this year for his activism.

IMAGE: Zach Catanzareti Photo/Wiki Commons.
By Matthew Singer

Portland-based Columbia Sportswear is getting into business with one of NASCAR's most high-profile drivers.

The outdoor apparel company today announced a multiyear sponsorship deal with Bubba Wallace, the auto racing league's only full-time Black driver.

Wallace will act as an ambassador for the brand, while the Columbia logo will appear on his car at upcoming races.

"Columbia Sportswear is a perfect fit for my lifestyle away from the track," Wallace said in a press release. "I love spending time outdoors—boating, golfing, hiking, photography—just anything to help me decompress from a hectic racing schedule."

Wallace is a six-time NASCAR national series winner, but he's achieved crossover fame this year for his activism, leading a successful campaign to ban the Confederate flag at races. He's since signed endorsement deals with Beats by Dre and Cash App.

After a noose found in his garage triggered an FBI investigation, Wallace was the subject of a critical tweet by President Trump.

But Columbia president Joe Boyle told the Associated Press that "it wasn't the [activism] that stood out for us, it was that he grew up in the outdoors. His favorite activities to do outside the track are photography, hiking, biking, golf —it's just a natural fit."

Related: Columbia Sportswear Chairwoman Gert Boyle Dies at 95.

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