UPDATE: An investigation found that the alleged noose was really just a door pull that had been there since as early as October 2019. You can read the full update HERE:
Original Story:
Disturbing news surfaced earlier today that NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace found a noose left in his garage at the Talladega Super Speedway over the weekend.
Wallace, who is the only black driver on the NASCAR circuit, responded to the racist offense with this powerful photo posted on Twitter this afternoon:
“Together” was the one word caption to a photo of himself with a legion of NASCAR drivers and crew standing behind him.
All NASCAR drivers showed their support for Wallace in a stunning visual of unity and stand against racist hatred such as the act that happened yesterday at the track.
Before the race, which was delayed due to weather, Wallace’s pit crew can be heard talking to him over the radio, just before start time. ‘Let’s go shut these haters up’ was the call before the green flag at Talladega.
NASCAR President Steve Phelps conducted a conference call with several members of the media today and said, according to Fox News:
After a meeting of NASCAR leadership, an investigation was launched with the Talladega County Sheriff before the FBI was notified on Monday morning.
Phelps said the FBI is on site and that NASCAR is using all resources available to it to determine who was behind the “heinous act,” with plans to ban them from the sport for life.
“I don’t care who they are, they won’t be here,” Phelps said.
Denying the unfounded allegation that has been spreading on social media that NASCAR had staged the incident for publicity, Phelps said it “personally offends me,” and that “I don’t even know where to go with that.”
The despicable act happened in an area of limited access, where only drivers, crews, and stadium crew are able to get in.
This disturbing threat comes on the heels after NASCAR recently dealt with another high profile-racial incident, when one if their drivers, Kyle Larson, was fired after using a racial slur during a livestream of a video game.