According to the FBI, “Bubba Wallace was not the target of a racist act” at Talladega

The discovery of a hangman's rope in the box occupied by the Richard Petty Motorsports team and its driver Bubba wallace in Talladega last weekend in Alabama caused a stir in the United States.

This element appeared to be an act of racism towards the African-American driver of the No. 43 Chevrolet, la Nascar and the FBI quickly launching an investigation to discover the truth of the facts.

The federal office released its conclusions in the evening, indicating that Bubba Wallace had not been specifically targeted by the presence of this hangman's rope. “The FBI has completed its investigation in Talladega and determined that Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime, specifies the press release published by Nascar.

The FBI report concludes, and photographic evidence confirms, that the rope to close the noose-shaped garage door had been placed there since last fall.

This was obviously well before the arrival of the No. 43 team and the allocation of the garage. We appreciate the FBI's prompt and thorough investigation and are pleased to learn that this is not an intentional racist act against Bubba. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all who love racing. »

An assertion supported in particular by the testimony of a member of the Wood Brothers Racing team, remembering that the rope in the garage was of this shape during Nascar's last visit to Alabama.

STATEMENT ON THE COINCIDENCE OF OUR STALL FROM 2019 AND THE INVESTIGATION pic.twitter.com/SJgKus8o8T

— Wood Brothers Racing (@woodbrothers21) June 23, 2020

The Richard Petty Motorsports team also communicated immediately, indicating "that no member of the team or Wallace is involved in the presence of this rope."