A noose found in the garage of NASCAR’s only black driver, Bubba Wallace, at the Talladega Speedway at the weekend was not a hate crime against the driver, just a simple misunderstanding, an investigation into the matter has found.
What appeared to be a racist attack on Wallace at a very sensitive time with the current Black Lives Matter movement, sparked an FBI investigation into the matter which has now concluded.
The ‘noose’ was actually a garage door pull that had been tied in a similar fashion to a noose and photo evidence shows it has been in place since October 2019 when the garage was occupied by the Wood Brothers Racing team.
In a joint statement between U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town and FBI Special Agent Johnnie Sharp Jr., they confirmed the end of their investigation and gave the following explanation.
“On Monday, fifteen FBI special agents conducted numerous interviews regarding the situation at Talladega Superspeedway. After a thorough review of the facts and evidence surrounding this event, we have concluded that no federal crime was committed.
“The FBI learned that garage number 4, where the noose was found, was assigned to Bubba Wallace last week. The investigation also revealed evidence, including authentic video confirmed by NASCAR, that the noose found in garage number 4 was in that garage as early as October 2019.
“Although the noose is now known to have been in garage number 4 in 2019, nobody could have known Mr. Wallace would be assigned to garage number 4 last week.
“The decision not to pursue federal charges is proper after reviewing all available facts and all applicable federal laws. We offer our thanks to NASCAR, Mr. Wallace, and everyone who cooperated with this investigation.”
NASCAR released an additional statement, adding: “The FBI has completed its investigation at Talladega Superspeedway and determined that Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime.
“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. This was obviously well before the 43 team’s arrival and garage assignment.
“We appreciate the FBI’s quick and thorough investigation and are thankful to learn that this was not an intentional, racist act against Bubba. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all who love racing.”
Wallace’s Richard Petty Motorsports team said they were thankful for the outcome of the investigation.
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