Kyle Busch, Other NASCAR Drivers Cut Ties With Helmet Designer Over Tweets

Some of NASCAR’s top drivers are looking for new lids.

Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch were among those Thursday who ceased their relationships with Beam Designs, which was responsible for designing many of the colorful helmets worn by the competitors. Their actions came after Beam Designs reacted strongly to recent actions by NASCAR in support of protests against racial inequality happening nationwide.

Beam Designs made its position clear through its tweets, retweets and replies that it was not a fan of NASCAR’s recent actions, including the sport’s move this week to ban the Confederate flag.

“Garbage,” read a tweet by Beam Designs’ official Twitter account, replying to a tweeted image of Bubba Wallace’s Black Lives Matter paint scheme.

The response on social media from fans has been mixed. Many of the pro-Beam comments decried the company’s inability to speak freely, when in fact owner Jason Beam’s right to speak freely hadn’t been stifled. Beam is still allowed to express his opinion, just as NASCAR and the drivers are allowed to express their opinions by dropping him.

More NASCAR: Twitter Reacts To Driver Quitting Over Confederate Flag Ban