Bubba Wallace's Car Inspected for Tampering After Noose Found at Talladega

NASCAR allowed Bubba Wallace's race team to inspect his car for tampering after a noose was found in his garage area Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.

Wallace's car was impounded overnight after Sunday's race was postponed because of inclement weather. NASCAR announced an investigation into who hung the noose, which a team member found, in a statement late Sunday.

Wallace, NASCAR's lone Black driver, released a statement saying he was "incredibly saddened" by the situation:

"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. 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. 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. As my mother told me today, 'They are just trying to scare you.' This will not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down. I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe in."

Wallace has been at the forefront of NASCAR's recent uptick in pushing social justice causes. He sported a "Black Lives Matter" paint job earlier this month and, with the support of other drivers, helped influence NASCAR into banning the Confederate flag.

Whoever hung the noose would seemingly have to be credentialed by NASCAR to be in the vicinity of the garage. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to NASCAR limiting the number of people from each team allowed in the area.