US NASCAR Condemns "Heinous" Act Against Black Driver

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) rallied Monday alongside its sole full-time black driver Darrell Wallace Jr. in the wake of a racist act that is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

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Late on Sunday, the organization said that it had been aware that a noose was found in the garage stall of team 43, that belongs to the driver best known as Bubba Wallace.

"We are angry and outraged and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act. We have launched an immediate investigation and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsibly and eliminate them from the sport", NASCAR said in a statement.

On Monday, the race circuit at NASCAR showed its support against racism by rallying alongside the driver as Champions Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney pushed his vehicle, followed by dozens of fellows.

Amid the protests over the killing of George Floyd by a police officer, Bubba Wallace persuaded NASCAR to ban the confederate flag from races, a decision that won him both praise and rejection.

For many U.S. citizens, the confederate flag is a symbol of white supremacy, racism, and slavery. Hence, Wallace pushed for Nascar to banned it on the basis that the use of the flag has scared many people from the sport.

However, some NASCAR fans opposed as for them the Confederate flag is part of their Southern heritage — not as a symbol of racism — and thus an integral part of the sport, which has deep Southern roots.

The noose has been related by authorities to the decision of banning the confederate flag from all races. 

“Today’s despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism,” said Wallace on the noose found at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

At the same time, the Department of Justice announced that its Civil Rights Division would join the FBI in an investigation to determine whether there was a violation of federal law. 

On the other hand, Jay E. Town, the United States attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, said in a statement on Monday that his office would review the matter alongside the F.B.I. and the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department.