Jimmie Johnson Cuts Ties with Beam Designs over Tweets Criticizing NASCAR

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has cut ties with Beam Designs following a series of tweets from the company criticizing the NASCAR for adopting measures to fight racism in the sport.

Jason Beam, who has gained a following for designing helmets for a number of professional drivers, wrote that it's a "sad day in racing watching NASCAR put their drivers and teams and their sport in the political spotlight of racism" in a since-deleted tweet on Wednesday.

The post came shortly after NASCAR banned the display of the Confederate flag at all of its events and properties.

Beam also commented on Bubba Wallace using a Black Lives Matter paint livery for Wednesday's race at Martinsville, tweeting that the design was "garbage". 

Johnson announced he would no longer work with Beam on Thursday after the tweets began circulating on the platform. Beam responded to the decision by offering his respect to Johnson and praising the driver: 

The designer had been tweeting negative and inflammatory comments for days before Wednesday, including statements critical of protests demanding an end to systemic racism in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in late May.

Beam had said he was working on more helmets for Johnson as of Wednesday.

Johnson, who supported Wallace's decision to race in a car featuring a Black Lives Matter paint job, is in the midst of his final season as a full-time driver. 

Beam has previously created helmet designs for Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney and Brennan Poole.