Absolutely unfathomable news. On Sunday evening, NASCAR issued a statement that someone left a noose in the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.
The No. 43 car is of course driven by Bubba Wallace, the only African-American driver in the NASCAR Cup Series.
NASCAR, in a statement released Sunday evening, says they are attempting to find the person or persons involved, and when they find them, they will be exiled from the sport.
Here is the full statement from NASCAR:
“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.”
This is deeply and truly unsettling.
Wallace, following NASCAR’s statement, released one of his own to Twitter:
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 22, 2020
On Monday, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey released a statement that she will aid the effort to catch and punish the perpetrator or perpetrators of putting the noose in Wallace’s garage stall.
Here is the full statement from Governor Ivey:
I am shocked and appalled to hear of yesterday’s vile act against @BubbaWallace in Talladega – there is no place for this disgusting display of hatred in our state. Full statement: https://t.co/wmwVCOFd4B pic.twitter.com/mcFXKUynRs
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) June 22, 2020
On Monday, a statement from U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town stated that the FBI is looking into the situation as well and will determine if there are any violations of federal law that occurred.
The statement read:
“The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of Alabama, FBI and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division are reviewing the situation surrounding the noose that was found in Bubba Wallace’s garage to determine whether there are violations of federal law. Regardless of whether federal charges can be brought, this type of action has no place in our society.”
Of course the list of who could have been involved is much shorter than during normal times in NASCAR. Due to COVID-19, the garage area is off limits to all of the 5,000 fans in attendance this weekend and all media are not allowed in the garage as well.
This incident comes a few weeks after Wallace drove a Black Lives Matters paint scheme at Martinsville. Following that, Wallace called for NASCAR to ban the confederate flag, which NASCAR has since done.
Wallace is having a break-out season on the track. The 26-year old driver has two top-10 finishes in the first 12 races of 2020 and sits 20th in the driver point standings.
9 Responses
Well when you have a car with Black Life’s Matter not all life’s matter,then you just throw the Rebel Flag out of racing when most of us that love nascar are southern and honor our flag. So you just told everyone in NASCAR Black Life’s Matter just like the other drivers don’t. Keep stirring the racist pot,cause the flag doesn’t stand for I hate blacks it stands for the white and black men thought fought for the south. So I’m expecting a black person to kill me cause my name is Dixie so y’all throw us southern away like trash. No what they did to Bubba was a horror and dishonor to him and Richard Petty but im from Petty County and I love Bubba but guess what now my grandpas Durham was one of the first NASCAR drivers , my family great NASCAR fans but I’m sad that y’all think a flag stand for racism and I can only imagine how my grandpas would react.yall enjoy your nascar me and my Confederate Flag will stay home and never watch another race or come to one again. So sorry Bubba that the backlash fell on you. NASCAR races all your life’s mattered to me but good bye another part of my past.
Well hope he pays all Nascars bills because I know you are about to realize the mistake you’ve made has cost you alot of dedicated race fans. Pretty pathetic to take history and ban it because it hurt someone’s feelings. Especially for a driver who is a nobody on top of that. You have ruined Nascar. When your pocket books start feeling it the damage will have been done along with Nascar.
I just ordered four confederate flags, they are going where i go…Been a NASCAR Fan for fourty years….this is part of American History….NASCAR got it all wrong…
What if he hung it there himself to get publicity like this to get more fans and more support for his”cause”
Yeah right. I’m sure it was an inside plant to continue the virtue signaling.
im sure bubba wallace or someone on the crew tossed it in there so they can get more tv time and push the issue more OPEN YOUR EYES NASCRAP!!!
Nascar your roots are steeped in southern tradition and you are not “Big” enough nor do you have the voice to fight the history that started racing. The good ol’ boys aren’t going to stand still for what you think is right as they have a side too. Right or wrong they want to be heard as well. They don’t want racism shoved down their throats. I am a northerner and I can see what’s happening. You had better take a long look at how you are going about solving a problem that has been years in the making. You can’t change it overnight with a few words.
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The flag is not and has never been a racist symbol. Because of his involvement in having the flag banned as well as allowing kneeling I hope someone actually puts his neck in a noose. The entire BLM is a racist and politically motivated group that should be declared enemies of this country. Every state and picture that has been removed should be replaced 10 times over. I don’t feal this way because of anyone’s skin color it is because I am intelligent enough to see through them and can see their true agenda.