NASCAR Releases Statement After FBI Concludes Bubba Wallace ‘Noose’ Investigation
An FBI investigation into what was believed to be a possible threat against NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace has determined that he was not the victim of a hate crime, after all, and NASCAR has released a statement expressing its continued commitment to "providing a welcoming and inclusive environment to all of who love racing."
Wallace is the only Black driver in NASCAR's highest Cup Series level, and on Sunday (June 21), a noose was discovered in his garage at Talladega Superspeedway. The FBI came in to investigate, and quickly concluded that the noose was not a threat to Wallace.
"The FBI report concludes, and photographic evidence confirms, that the garage door pull rope fashioned like a noose had been positioned there since as early as last fall," NASCAR's statement reads. "This was obviously well before the 43 team's arrival and garage assignment."
The statement goes on to commend the FBI for a "quick and thorough investigation," saying NASCAR is "thankful to learn this was not an intentional, racist act against Bubba."
The 26-year-old race car driver had previously vowed not to back down over the incident, which many had speculated might be a deliberate act in response to his recently advocating to get the Confederate flag removed from NASCAR. NASCAR announced its decision to ban the Confederate flag from all racing events moving forward on June 10.
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