'Noose' Found In Bubba Wallace's Garage Not Hate Crime: FBI

TALLADEGA, AL — An investigation into a noose found in the garage of NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace's garage at Talladega Superspeedway has revealed that the noose was not meant for Wallace. The FBI issued a statement saying that security video footage shows the "noose," said to actually be a garage door pull rope fashioned like a noose, had been in the garage long before the garage was assigned to Wallace.

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“On Monday, fifteen FBI special agents conducted numerous interviews regarding the situation at Talladega Superspeedway," said U.S. Attorney Jay Town. "After a thorough review of the facts and evidence surrounding this event, we have concluded that no federal crime was committed."

The FBI learned that garage number 4, where the noose was found, was assigned to Wallace last week. "The investigation also revealed evidence, including authentic video confirmed by NASCAR, that the noose found in garage number 4 was in that garage as early as October 2019," Town said. "Although the noose is now known to have been in garage number 4 in 2019, nobody could have known Mr. Wallace would be assigned to garage number 4 last week."

The FBI said no other pull cords were tied in that fashion at the facility, which warranted the investigation.

Wallace had successfully pushed for NASCAR's ban on displaying the Confederate flag inside the facility at Talladega, which prompted law enforcement to suspect the noose was placed in Wallace's garage in retaliation for his stance on the flag and his outspoken support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Wallace, NASCAR's only Black driver, is an Alabama native who drives the No. 43 Chevrolet for racing icon Richard Petty. Wallace finished 14th in Monday's Geico 500 race at Talladega.