NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace is furious that his reputation and integrity has come under fire, following the FBI’s investigation finding that a noose found in his garage stall earlier this week had been there months prior to the garage being assigned to him.
On Tuesday, the FBI concluded that the noose in Wallace’s garage had been placed there back in October and determined that Wallace was not a victim of a hate crime.
NASCAR had launched an investigation shortly after a crew member found the noose at the Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday. The next day, NASCAR said in a statement that it was “angry and outraged.”
During an interview on CNN Tuesday evening, Wallace said that he’s “pissed” about the whole situation.
“I’m mad because people are trying to test my character and the person that I am,” Wallace said. “And my integrity.”
Wallace argued that although the FBI is “not stealing” his integrity from him, “they’re trying to test that.”
“And as a person that doesn’t need to fame or the hype or the media, I could care less,” Wallace said. “I give two craps about that. But to sit there and read — that’s my problem. I’m reading too much into it and investing too much time.”
Wallace later added that he maintains that a noose was hanging in his garage and “not a garage pull.”
“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.”
Wallace tweeted on Sunday evening that the “act of racism and hatred” makes him “incredibly saddened” but that the incident “will not break” him nor will he “back down.”
Wallace doubled down on the same sentiment during his CNN interview on Tuesday night.
“This will not break me, none of the allegations of being a hoax will break me or tear me down,” Wallace said. “It will piss me off, absolutely. But that only fuels the competitive drive in me to shut everybody up.”
Watch Wallace’s remarks below:
NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace is "pissed" that his integrity is being questioned after FBI investigation pic.twitter.com/G6zWKt6upo
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) June 24, 2020
