Bubba Wallace Speaks out After FBI Finds No Hate Crime Occurred at Talladega Garage

After two days of investigation, on Tuesday, the FBI revealed their findings about the noose incident involving Bubba Wallace's garage at the Talladega Motor Superspeedway. NASCAR subsequently issued a statement about the matter in which they expressed that this incident was not a hate crime. Instead, they claimed that the noose was actually a pull rope on the garage door that had been made into a noose shape. Following the news that the FBI has said that no hate crime occurred in this case, Wallace himself has spoken out.

CNN's Don Lemon spoke with Wallace Tuesday night and asked about the FBI's investigation. Wallace said he never personally saw the noose as he was reacting to what NASCAR told him. However, Wallace told Lemon "It's a straight up noose." Wallace also said: "I talked to my crew chief about it. ... I wanted to make sure we weren't jumping the gun. It was a noose. Whether tied in 2019, or whatever, it was a noose. So, it wasn't directed at me, but somebody tied a noose."

Prior to the FBI's announcement, Wallace revealed on The View that he had been in contact with the organization for their investigation. While on the program, the driver even addressed claims that the incident was a "hoax," explaining, "People are entitled to their own opinion to make them feel good and help them sleep at night, but it is still an ongoing investigation with the FBI. I can now say I've talked to the FBI. Never thought that would happen." Hours after that interview aired, the FBI revealed that they would not be pursuing any federal charges in this case.

"The FBI has completed its investigation at Talladega Superspeedway and determined that Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime," NASCAR said on Tuesday in a statement about the incident. "The FBI report concludes, and photographic evidence confirms, that the garage door pull rope fashioned like a noose had been positioned there since as early as last fall. This was obviously before the 43 team's arrival and garage assignment. We appreciate the FBI's quick and thorough investigation and are thankful to learn that this was not an intentional, racist act against Bubba. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all who love racing."

This whole matter began when NASCAR reported on Sunday that a noose was supposedly found in Wallace's garage at the Talladega Superspeedway. Shortly after this discovery, Wallace, the first Black full-time driver to race in the Cup Series in about 50 years, issued a statement in which he called this a "despicable act of racism and hatred." At the time, Wallace, who has been a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, said that the noose was a "painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism."