Here’s the problem: it’s been there since October 2019. What’s that got to do with Bubba?
NASCAR has released a photo of the “noose” that they claimed that they found earlier this week in Bubba Wallace’s garage stall and which sparked an immediate federal investigation.
The photo is likely to spark more questions than it answers because it appears to be a rope that is attached to the garage door and that is tied in a similar fashion to ropes that have been in the garages at the Talladega Superspeedway for years, according to footage available on NASCAR’s own social media accounts.
The FBI sent a whopping 15 agents to investigate the incident, which they quickly concluded was not a hate crime as the rope at that specific garage had been tied that way since at least year.
“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,” NASCAR said in a statement. “This was obviously well before the 43 team’s arrival and garage assignment.”
https://twitter.com/jeff_gluck/status/1276188964488003584/photo/1
Jeff Gluck on Twitter: “NASCAR president Steve Phelps says its own investigation has been completed. “In hindsight, I should have used the word alleged.” But says the noose was real and the concern for Bubba Wallace was real. That was the only rope in the garage tied this way. / Twitter”
NASCAR president Steve Phelps says its own investigation has been completed. “In hindsight, I should have used the word alleged.” But says the noose was real and the concern for Bubba Wallace was real. That was the only rope in the garage tied this way.
Jeff Gluck on Twitter: “NASCAR says it investigated how the noose got there in the first place. It was tied sometime during the October 2019 race weekend, but NASCAR was unable to determine who did it. It asked all 29 tracks to look for other nooses this week and this was the only one found. / Twitter”
NASCAR says it investigated how the noose got there in the first place. It was tied sometime during the October 2019 race weekend, but NASCAR was unable to determine who did it. It asked all 29 tracks to look for other nooses this week and this was the only one found.
Jeff Gluck on Twitter: “NASCAR president Steve Phelps says he takes “full responsibility” for the wording being wrong. Felt a driver had been threatened and it was on NASCAR to react and investigate. Says to suggest Bubba Wallace was in any way involved is offensive. / Twitter”
NASCAR president Steve Phelps says he takes “full responsibility” for the wording being wrong. Felt a driver had been threatened and it was on NASCAR to react and investigate. Says to suggest Bubba Wallace was in any way involved is offensive.
Jeff Gluck on Twitter: “If the noose was there since last October, why didn’t anyone report it until now? NASCAR’s Phelps says that’s a problem. “Odds are someone saw it and didn’t react negatively to it. We need to make sure that doesn’t happen in the future. We need to do better as an industry.” / Twitter”
If the noose was there since last October, why didn’t anyone report it until now? NASCAR’s Phelps says that’s a problem. “Odds are someone saw it and didn’t react negatively to it. We need to make sure that doesn’t happen in the future. We need to do better as an industry.”