Bubba Wallace: FBI finds Nascar ‘noose’ was rope to open garage door
- Nascar stands by decision to alert authorities even after FBI finds video proof that rope was there since last October
- ‘Nobody could have known that Wallace would be assigned’ only garage with rope-pulley door at Talladega Superspeedway
Nascar stood by its decision to alert federal authorities to a rope that resembled a noose found in Bubba Wallace’s garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway, even after the investigation determined it had been there since at least last October.
US attorney Jay Town and FBI special agent in charge Johnnie Sharp Jnr said on Tuesday an investigation determined “nobody could have known Mr Wallace would be assigned” to that same stall. Nascar said it was the lone garage stall with a pull-down rope that resembled a noose.
Wallace is the only black driver at Nascar’s top level and has become a leading activist in the sport during a push for racial equality. He has worn an “I Can’t Breathe” shirt, had a Black Lives Matter paint scheme and successfully pushed Nascar to ban the Confederate flag.
In using his new-found voice, the 26-year-old has said he’s received death threats and Nascar had assigned him at-track security.
It made for heightened sensitivity and a potential overreaction when a crew member for Richard Petty Motorsports reported a noose had been found sometime after Sunday’s race was delayed by rain. Nascar said it was “angry and outraged” over the “heinous act” that the series directly linked to racism.
The FBI sent 15 agents to Florida for Monday’s rescheduled race at the same time the industry rallied around Wallace. In an unprecedented show of solidarity, every team member on pit road lined up behind him during the national anthem.