TALLADEGA, Ala. – NASCAR confirmed late Sunday evening that a noose was found in the Talladega Superspeedway garage stall of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet, which is driven by the sport’s only African-American driver, Bubba Wallace.
In a statement released Sunday evening, NASCAR officials said they are launching an investigation to find the culprit or culprits responsible.
“Late this afternoon, NASCAR was made aware that a noose was found in the garage stall of the 43 team,” the statement read. “We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act. We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport. As we have stated unequivocally, there is no place for racism in NASCAR, and this act only strengthens our resolve to make the sport open and welcoming to all.”
Wallace has been outspoken in recent weeks regarding the #BlackLivesMatter movement, even driving a #BlackLivesMatter car at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on June 10. On the same day, after Wallace spoke out on the matter, NASCAR banned the Confederate flag from all NASCAR events.
Wallace responded to the situation on Twitter shortly after NASCAR released its statement, saying the situation left him “incredibly saddened.”
“Today’s despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism,” Wallace said. “Over the last several weeks, I have been overwhelmed by the support from people across the NASCAR industry, including other drivers and team members in the garage.
“Together, our sport has made a commitment to driving real change and championing a community that is accepting and welcoming of everyone,” Wallace continued. “Nothing is more important and we will not be deterred by the reprehensible actions of those who seek to spread hate. As my mother told me today, ‘They are just trying to scare you.’
“This will not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down. I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe.”
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 22, 2020