*For those who doubted Bubba Wallace‘s story that the rope he found at his NASCAR garage wasn’t really a noose, the organization has released a photo that shows it’s definitely a NOOSE.
NASCAR is still sticking to its story that the rope had been fashioned into a noose by an unknown person back in October 2019. It’s been determined by investigators that it was NOT made as a specific threat to Wallace, a Black driver on the circuit.
In addition to NASCAR, the FBI says it has determined Wallace was not the victim of a hate crime.
Wallace, who’s raced out of hundreds of garages over his career is buying NASCAR’s explanation that the item is just a garage pull rope. He says he’s never, ever seen one fashioned as a noose until Talladega.
Interestingly, NASCAR’s president Steve Phelps said Thursday his organization thoroughly searched all 29 NASCAR tracks — which includes 1,684 garage stalls — and only ONE of the ropes was fashioned into a noose. And guess whose? Yep, Bubba Wallace: “the one discovered Sunday in the No. 43 [Bubba Wallace] garage stall.”
Phelps added, “As you can see from the photo, the noose was real, as was our concern for Bubba.”
He added, “With similar emotion, others across our industry and our media stood up to defend the NASCAR family. Our NASCAR family. Because they are part of the NASCAR family, too. We are proud to see so many stand up for what’s right.”
RELATED: VIDEO: Bubba Wallace in Tears as Entire NASCAR Field Pushes His 42 Car to the Front of Pit Road
Earlier this week, Bubba praised the FBI and NASCAR for “acting swiftly and treating this as a real threat.”
“I think we’ll gladly take a little embarrassment over what the alternatives could have been,” Wallace added.
Bubba admits he’s had an emotional few days but he’s relieved “that the investigation revealed that this wasn’t what we feared it was.”
“Make no mistake, though some will try, this should not detract from the show of unity we had on Monday, and the progress we’ve made as a sport to be a more welcoming environment for all.”
After the results of the investigation were made public, Wallace spoke with CNN’s Don Lemon about the backlash he had been receiving — saying, “I’m mad because people are trying to test my character.”
“The image that I have and I have seen of what was hanging in my garage is not a garage pull. I’ve been racing all my life, we’ve raced out of hundreds of garages that never had garage pulls like that.”
“It was a noose,” Wallace continued … “whether tied in 2019 or whatever, it was a noose.”
“So, it wasn’t directed at me but somebody tied a noose. That’s what I’m saying.”
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