No charges in NASCAR noose incident involving Black driver Bubba Wallace

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- The noose found hanging in Bubba Wallace's garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway had been there since at least last October, federal authorities said Tuesday in announcing there will be no charges filed.

U.S. Attorney Jay Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp Jr. said its investigation determined “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.”

A crew member for Richard Petty Motorsports discovered the noose Sunday at the Alabama race track. NASCAR was alerted and contacted the FBI, which sent 15 agents to the track to investigate. They determined no federal crime was committed.

Related: NASCAR: Noose found in Bubba Wallace's garage area at Talladega

The statement said the garage stall was assigned to Wallace last week in advance of the race scheduled for Sunday but held on Monday because of rain. Through video confirmed by NASCAR it was discovered the noose had been “was in that garage as early as October 2019."

The agencies said the evidence did not support federal charges.

Wallace, the only Black driver at NASCAR's top level, successfully pushed the stock car series to ban the Confederate flag at its venues less than two weeks ago.