NASCAR says it is launching an investigation regarding a noose it says was found hanging in the garage stall of the No. 43 team, for which Bubba Wallace is the driver.
NASCAR said late on Sunday afternoon it was told about a noose found in the garage for the Richard Petty Motorsports team driver. Sunday’s Geico 500 at Talladega was moved to Monday due to the weather.
“Late this afternoon, NASCAR was made aware that a noose was found in the garage stall of the 43 team. 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,” NASCAR said in a statement.
Wallace, who is the only full-time black driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, published a note on Twitter about the “despicable act of racism.”
NASCAR recently banned Confederate flags from races, which was something Wallace had been calling for. A plane was flying over Talladega on Sunday that dragged a Confederate flag and a banner that said “defund NASCAR.”
Wallace, 26, has six top-10 finishes in his Cup Series career.
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