Bubba Wallace Thanks FBI for 'Acting Swiftly' in Rope Situation: 'Should Not Detract from … Unity'

An investigation into an apparent noose found in the NASCAR driver's stall concluded that the object was a garage door pull rope

Bubba Wallace. Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty

Bubba Wallace has issued a statement thanking the FBI and NASCAR for "acting swiftly" in their investigation regarding an apparent noose found in his garage stall.

"It's been an emotional few days. First off, I want to say how relieved I am that the investigation revealed that this wasn't what we feared it was," he wrote in a statement on Twitter Wednesday. "I want to thank my team, NASCAR and the FBI 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 continued. "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."

On Tuesday, an investigation into an apparent noose found in the NASCAR driver's garage stall at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama, over the weekend concluded that the object was a garage door pull rope that may have been there since October.

"The FBI has completed its investigation at Talladega Superspeedway and determined that Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime," NASCAR said in a statement on Tuesday. "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."

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Speaking with CNN host Don Lemon on Tuesday night, Wallace — the only Black full-time NASCAR driver — explained that he didn't report the noose, but that the incident was brought to his attention.

He also responded to claims that the situation was a hoax.

"This will not break me, none of the allegations of being a hoax will break me or tear me down," he said. "... It will piss me off, absolutely. But that only fuels the competitive drive in me to shut everybody up."

Wallace later spoke with the Today show's Craig Melvin on Wednesday morning, Wallace said he was "relieved, just like many others, to know that it wasn’t targeted toward me."

"It's still frustrating to know people are always going to test you and always just gonna try to debunk you," he added. "That's what I'm trying to wrap my head around now, from, you know, saying I'm a fake and all this stuff and that I reported it when it was news that was brought to me ... so I was just kind of following suit. All in all, it's just another day."

The driver continued, “It was a rope pull for the garage door ... but it was definitely in the shape of a noose. It wasn’t a functioning noose ... The photo evidence that I’ve seen and that I have in my possession [shows] of what was in our garage is exactly a garage pull. It is. That is a noose. I don’t know when we’ll get to the point to release that image … It’s alerting and it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.”

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In its statement, NASCAR said: "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."

Richard Petty Motorsports also issued a statement, saying no member of the team nor Wallace "had any involvement with the presence of the rope."

"After a thorough review of the facts and evidence surrounding this event, we have concluded that no federal crime was committed," said the FBI and U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town in a joint statement on Tuesday, noting that 15 special agents conducted interviews on Monday.

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