NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace says he’s “pissed” members of the public are now questioning his integrity after the FBI said a noose found in his garage stall over the weekend was there before his team moved in.
“I’m mad because people are trying to test my character and the person that I am and my integrity,” he told CNN’s Don Lemon Tuesday night.
Once news of the investigation got out, there was immediate backlash to everybody who thought it was a hate crime to begin with. That included Jemele Hill.
The former ESPN analyst was bashed by the likes of Megyn Kelly who took to Twitter to call her out for her comments on NASCAR fans after news broke on Sunday that a noose was found.
Hill fired back at her and anybody that thought the entire thing was a hoax, even though a noose was still found in the garage, despite when it had first gotten there.
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The FBI said Tuesday the noose had been in the garage since last year and Wallace was therefore not a victim of a hate crime. NASCAR, mentioning the FBI report, described the item as a “garage door pull rope fashioned like a noose.”
“It was a noose,” Wallace said. “Whether tied in 2019 or whatever, it was a noose. So, it wasn’t directed at me but somebody tied a noose. That’s what I’m saying.”
On Tuesday night, he said he continued to stand by what he said.
“This will not break me, none of the allegations of being a hoax will break me or tear me down,” he said.
“It will piss me off, absolutely. But that only fuels the competitive drive in me to shut everybody up,” he added.
The FBI said it “learned that garage number 4, where the noose was found, was assigned to Bubba 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. 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 agency said.
NASCAR also issued a statement regarding the FBI’s decision.
“We appreciate the FBI’s quick and thorough investigation and are thankful to learn that this was not an intentional, racist act against Bubba,” the statement read.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all who love racing.”
