NASCAR drivers are rallying behind an emotional Bubba Wallace just a day after a noose was found hanging in his garage stall on Sunday (June 21). Wallace took to social media to share a photo of the moment ahead of the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeed. He captioned the moving picture with the word, “Together.”
NASCAR President Steve Phelps on Monday (June 22) said whoever is responsible for the threat will be “caught and dealt with swiftly and severely.”
“This is a difficult time for our sport but we are going to react swiftly and again we’re going to use all the means, resources at our disposal and of those of the FBI to make sure this person or persons are caught and dealt with swiftly and severely,” he said.
Richard Petty, who Wallace races for, released a statement on Monday and the racer said that he stands in complete support of the driver.
“I’m enraged by the act of someone placing a noose in the garage stall of my race team,” Petty said. “There is absolutely no place in our sport or our society for racism. This filthy act serves as a reminder of how far we still have to go to eradicate racial prejudice and it galvanizes my resolve to use the resources of Richard Petty Motorsports to create change.”
Following the incident, Wallace thanked his fans for the overwhelming support and applauded NASCAR for making a real commitment to change. “Over the last several weeks, I have been overwhelmed by the support from people across the NASCAR industry including other drivers and team members in the garage,” he said. “Together, our sport has made a commitment to driving real change and championing a community that is accepting and welcoming of everyone. Nothing is more important and we will not be deterred by the reprehensible actions of those who seek to spread hate.”
Check out Wallace’s photo below.