Bubba Wallace highlights NASCAR's unity after noose incident proven to not be a hate crime

After initially refusing to believe the FBI's determination of the Bubba Wallace noose incident, the 26-year-old NASCAR racer issued a statement where he said he was "relieved" that the investigation was over and that it "wasn't what it was feared" earlier. The FBI's investigation into the entire noose incident revealed that Bubba Wallace was not a victim of a hate crime and that the noose found in his garage was just a garage loop that had been hanging there since October 2019. 

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Bubba Wallace statement after FBI investigation into noose incident

While he was sceptical about the conclusion earlier, Wallace took to Twitter and wrote, "It's been an emotional few days. First off, I want to say how relieved I am that the investigation revealed that this wasn't what we feared it was." The NASCAR racer went on to thank his team, the racing company and the federal authorities for "acting swiftly" and treating it as a real threat.

"I think we'll gladly take a little embarrassment over what the alternatives could have been. Make no mistake, though some will try, this should not detract from the show of unity we had on Monday, and the progress we've made as a sport to be a more welcoming environment for all," the Bubba Wallace statement read. Wallace referred to NASCAR's solidarity ahead of Monday's race at Talladega Superspeedway, Alabama. All 39 NASCAR drivers and their crew rallied behind Bubba Wallace and pushed his No. 43 car to the front as a sign of support.

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Bubba Wallace interview

While he was not the victim of a racist attack, Bubba Wallace believes the ensuing investigation was not an overreaction. "Are we hypersensitive to everything that's going on in the world now? Absolutely," Wallace told ESPN on Wednesday. "But if you were in my shoes -- and I doubt anybody could walk in my shoes, especially at this moment -- you would go down that route time and time again."

Bubba Wallace, who is NASCAR's only full-time African-American race car driver, has been a vocal figure amid the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement in the country. He earlier wore an 'I can't breathe' t-shirt during an event as a sign of protest against the death of George Floyd. Wallace followed it up by unveiling an all-black 'Black Lives Matter' car at Martinsville Speedway.

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(Image Credits: AP)