Bubba Wallace: North Carolina Racetrack Loses Partners Over 'Bubba Rope' Facebook Post

Mike Fulp, the owner of the half-mile 311 Speedway in North Carolina sparked criticism with a post [...]

By John Newby

Mike Fulp, the owner of the half-mile 311 Speedway in North Carolina sparked criticism with a post on Facebook Marketplace advertising a "Bubba Rope." Fulp made the post the day after the FBI announced that NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime. Now Fulp has lost partners at future events.

"Buy your Bubba Rope today for only $9.99 each, they come with a lifetime warranty and work great," Fulp wrote on Wednesday. Several self-described fans wrote that they would stop attending events at the track. Additionally, the Carolina Sprint Tour wrote that it would not race at 311 Speedway for the remainder of the season. This coincided with a concrete company severing all ties with Fulp and his facility.

"We do not condone nor support the comments and posts that have been made the past week," the Carolina Sprint Tour said in a Facebook post. "We will not put our sponsors, IMCA Racing, series, drivers, teams, owners, fans or families in a negative light such as what's happened recently." The driver series said that it will work on filling the two open dates — July 25 and Sept. 26 — with other venues.

Prior to the "Bubba Rope" post, Fulp also posted on 311 Speedway's Facebook page and advertised a "Heritage Night." The post said that the track would sell Confederate flags and caps, as well as those supporting President Donald Trump. "We believe it's our right to protect the sport we love. Purchase your Confederate flags and caps here, along with your Christian flag, American flag, Donald Trump flag and caps," Fulp wrote in his post.

"Standing for what you believe is often different than being known for what you are against," Loflin Concrete said in a Facebook statement. "Sometimes just being against something in principle or belief is just not enough. Words must lead to action sometimes. This is one of those times. We have cut all ties with 311 speedway." Loflin said it requested 311 Speedway remove all signs and references to the company.

Following the investigation on Sunday and Monday, the FBI confirmed that the "noose" in his garage at Talladega Superspeedway was a garage door pull rope. Although it was the only one in more than 1,600 examined featuring a noose on the end. NASCAR officials found 11 ropes with knots on the end, but only one of these was a noose. It just happened to be a coincidence that it was in Wallace's garage.

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