海角大神

Noose in Wallace鈥檚 garage was not a hate crime, says FBI

An FBI investigation into a noose found in a garage used by Black NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace determined that it had been there since last October and was not a hate crime. Why the rope was tied to resemble a noose is now being investigated, says NASCAR president Steve Phelps.

First Look

NASCAR went to Talladega Superspeedway on heightened alert after Bubba Wallace, its only Black driver, took on an active role in a push for racial equality.

Mr. Wallace had successfully called for the ban of the Confederate flag and received threats. Fans paraded past the main entrance of the Alabama track displaying the flag, and a plane circled above the speedway pulling a Confederate flag banner that read 鈥淒efund NASCAR.鈥�

So NASCAR moved quickly when one of Mr. Wallace鈥檚 crew members discovered a rope shaped like a noose in their garage stall. The sanctioning body called in federal authorities, who ruled Tuesday the rope had been hanging there since at least last October and was not a hate crime.

United States Attorney Jay Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. said the investigation determined 鈥渘obody could have known Mr. Wallace would be assigned鈥� to that same stall. NASCAR said it was the lone garage stall with a pull down rope that resembled a noose.

NASCAR has defended its reaction and insisted it would call the FBI again. A defiant Mr. Wallace said there is no confusion and the rope had been fashioned into a noose.

鈥淚 wanted to make sure this wasn鈥檛 just a knot,鈥� Mr. Wallace said on CNN. 鈥淚t was a noose. Whether it was tied in 2019 ... it is a noose.鈥�

Mr. Wallace never saw the rope. He said NASCAR President Steve Phelps came to see him Sunday night at the track with 鈥渢ears running down his face.鈥�

鈥淭he evidence he brought to me was that a hate crime has been committed,鈥� said Mr. Wallace, who instantly began to fear for the safety of his family.

Mr. Wallace was disturbed that members of the public are questioning his integrity after the conclusion of the FBI investigation, .

Talking to Lemon, Wallace said the image he saw of 鈥渨hat was hanging in my garage is not a garage pull.鈥�

鈥淚t was a noose,鈥� Wallace said. 鈥淲hether tied in 2019 or whatever, it was a noose. So, it wasn鈥檛 directed at me but somebody tied a noose. That鈥檚 what I鈥檓 saying.鈥�

In a statement posted to his Twitter, he said the 鈥渁ct of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened鈥� but vowed the incident 鈥渨ill not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down.鈥�

On Tuesday night, he said he continued to stand by what he said.

鈥淭his will not break me, none of the allegations of being a hoax will break me or tear me down,鈥� he said.

Even after the , Mr. Wallace remained angry at what he perceives as constant tests of his character. He holds no ill-will toward NASCAR.

鈥淚鈥檓 mad because people are trying to test my character and the person that I am and my integrity,鈥� he told CNN鈥檚 Don Lemon Tuesday night.

鈥淚 stand behind Steve and I stand behind NASCAR,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ASCAR was worried about Talladega. We had that one circled on the radar with everything going on.鈥�

NASCAR opened the Talladega gates to 5,000 fans, its highest number so far during the coronavirus pandemic.

Since finding his voice over the last month, the Mobile, Alabama native has embraced an international role in NASCAR鈥檚 attempt to push past its rocky racial history. Mr. Wallace has worn an 鈥淚 Can鈥檛 Breathe鈥� shirt, raced with a Black Lives Matter paint scheme in Virginia, and successfully lobbied for the Confederate flag ban.

NASCAR assigned security to Mr. Wallace at the track. The first word of the incident came in a sharply worded statement in which NASCAR said it was 鈥渁ngry and outraged鈥� over the 鈥渉einous act鈥� that the series directly linked to racism.

The FBI sent 15 agents to Talladega for Monday鈥檚 rescheduled race at the same time the industry rallied around Mr. Wallace. In an unprecedented show of solidarity, every team member on pit road lined up behind him during the national anthem.

Mr. Phelps has taken exactly nine questions about the finding in Mr. Wallace鈥檚 garage and none provided any details of the incident. Because of health protocol restrictions, a limited number of personnel have access to the garage. Only a handful of Mr. Wallace鈥檚 crew members and NASCAR saw the rope.

Roughly 48 hours after the discovery, federal authorities said video confirmed the rope 鈥渨as in that garage as early as October 2019鈥� hanging from a garage door. The rope was referred to as a noose, but can be used as a handle when closing the door.

Mr. Phelps continued to call it a noose after authorities said no charges would be filed, and held firm in that NASCAR is investigating why the rope was tied that way. He was pleased it wasn鈥檛 a hate crime directed at Mr. Wallace, but insisted NASCAR would have conducted its investigation the same way even now knowing it was just a coincidence.

鈥淲e would have done the same investigation. It was important for us to do,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he evidence was very clear that the noose that was in the garage was in there previously. The last race we had in October, that noose was present. The evidence we had, it was clear we needed to look into this.鈥�

He took no questions on the FBI鈥檚 findings.

Meanwhile, Wood Brothers Racing team said it cooperated with the investigation and an employee recalled 鈥渟eeing a tied handle in the garage pull down rope from last fall,鈥� when the team had the stall.

NASCAR saying it had found a noose stunned the stock car series as it takes an active position in a push for inclusion. The series first tried to ban the Confederate flag five years ago but did nothing to enforce the order.

NASCAR has yet to detail how it will answer Mr. Wallace鈥檚 call to stop the display of the flag.

This story was reported by The Associated Press.

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