The Bondurant brothers, whose story was brought to the big screen in 2012’s Lawless were the bigger bootleggers in Franklin County during Prohibition. When he returned from his service, he was denied his cab license, which led him down a different path – bootlegging.
Wendell later entered the military where he was a soldier, mechanic, boxer, and paratrooper. His level of independence as a Black man was rare at that time. That is what makes the athlete’s story that much more incredible. For those unfamiliar with the city of Danville, it was the last capital of the Confederacy. Prior to speeding around the racetrack, Wendell owned a cab company. The Black community – especially in hip hop – idolizes the hustler and that’s even more reason why it is important to learn the origins of the only Black man immortalized in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. We’ve seen a few photos here and there, but no one knows the real story of the Danville, VA native and his rise in the ranks of a sport dominated by southern white men…until now.
By now, most have heard about Bubba Wallace - “That Black NASCAR driver.” However, before him, there was Wendell Scott.
