“Following Charlie Kirk’s death, my life and that of my family has been turned upside down. I have since been living in fear, and every day feels like we’re looking over our shoulders. We all know why Charlie was assassinated. He was hated. Charlie Kirk was not my friend, and we stood on very different sides of almost every issue. He was a conservative political activist, the founder of Turning Point USA, a man known for his outspoken advocacy of Christian conservatism, opposition to abortion, criticism of DEI initiatives, and staunch positions on immigration and transgender rights. He was a lightning rod for controversy, and while I disagreed with many of his views, his death serves as a grim reminder of what happens when our society becomes so polarized that disagreement turns into hatred and hatred turns into violence.
I’m often called the most hated driver in the history of NASCAR. But I ask, what is my crime? Advocating for racial justice? Calling for NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag, a symbol that for many represents a painful legacy of oppression and racism? Standing in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, shining a light on systemic injustice? For these beliefs, I’ve been threatened, mocked, and vilified. And now, my family and I live with a level of fear that no one should have to endure. Fear when I step outside. Fear when I go to a race. Fear when I see my loved ones worry about my safety because I spoke out.
I never imagined that standing up for what’s right would come at such a personal cost. NASCAR has been my life. It’s a sport that gave me purpose and opportunity, but also a stage that exposed me to a darker side of our culture, a side that is resistant to change and quick to attack anyone who dares to challenge the status quo. And yet, the tragedy of Charlie Kirk’s death reminds me that this isn’t about one side versus the other. Fear and violence don’t discriminate between conservatives and progressives. Speaking out, whether for racial justice or for conservative causes, has become dangerous in a society where disagreement too often escalates into hatred.
Charlie’s assassination is a tragedy. It is also a warning. No matter where you stand politically, no one should lose their life for their beliefs. We can’t keep living in a world where standing up for something means risking everything. Yet here I am, one of the most hated figures in a sport I love, living with constant fear because I dared to challenge symbols of oppression, because I dared to say Black lives matter. And here’s the truth: despite the fear, I won’t stop. I won’t be silent. Because silence would mean letting hatred win. I owe it to those who came before me, to those watching me now, and to those who will come after, to keep fighting for justice even if I’m hated for it.
I’ll keep racing. I’ll keep speaking. I’ll keep pushing for a future where NASCAR is truly for everyone, and where no one, regardless of their politics or their race, has to fear for their life. Fear might be the cost of change, but if we let that fear silence us, we lose far more than we gain. Courage, even when it feels impossible, is all I have left, and it’s enough to keep going.”