Bubba Wallace signs endorsement deal with Beats by Dre

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Richard Petty Motorsports driver Bubba Wallace signed with Beats by Dre on Monday, the company announced.

"We weren't going to announce this until later this week, but hate cannot win the day," Beats by Dre tweeted. "No one should ever be asked to apologize for standing up for what's right — we are proud to welcome Bubba Wallace to the Beats by Dr. Dre family."

Wallace, 26, has raced in the NASCAR Cup Series since 2017. NASCAR found a noose in Wallace's garage at Talladega International Speedway in late June, just days after NASCAR banned the confederate flag from races.

An FBI investigation revealed the noose had been in Wallace's garage since October 2019. Drivers at the GEICO 500 showed their support for Wallace on June 22 as they pushed his No. 43 car down the track to the front of the field.

Wallace's signing with Beats by Dre was announced hours after he was the subject of a tweet from President Donald Trump, who falsely alleged Wallace and NASCAR of perpetuating a "hoax" with the found noose.

"Has @BubbaWallace apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, & were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX?" Trump tweeted. "That & Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!"

Wallace responded to Trump's tweet with a Twitter message on Monday. He urged the "next generation" to "choose love over hate."

"Your words and actions will always be held to a higher standard than others," Wallace wrote. "You don't learn these things in school. You learn them from trials and tribulations, the ups and downs this crazy world provides. You will always have people testing you. Seeing if they can knock you off your pedestal. I encourage you to keep your head held high and walk proudly on the path you've chosen."

Wallace was also welcomed to Beats by Dre on Monday night by Lakers star LeBron James. Wallace is the latest Beats by Dre athlete, joining Serena Williams, Simone Biles and Odell Beckham Jr.

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