Richard Petty Says He's 'Enraged' by Noose in Bubba Wallace's Garage

NASCAR legend Richard Petty has issued a statement in support of Bubba Wallace after a noose was found in the driver's garage at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.

Petty said he was "enraged by the act of someone placing a noose in the garage stall of my race team":

Per ESPN's Marty Smith, Petty will attend Monday's race to support Wallace. 

“The most important thing for me right now is hugging my driver,” Petty said about his decision to attend the Geico 500, per Smith.

NASCAR announced Sunday it launched an immediate investigation "to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport."

The United States Department of Justice also announced it was investigating the situation "to determine whether there are violations of federal law."

Wallace posted a statement on Twitter: "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."

Richard Petty Motorsports first signed Wallace as a replacement driver midway through the 2017 season. He joined the team full-time later that year and signed an extension in July 2018 that expires after this season.

Wallace's deal with Richard Petty Motorsports made him the first full-time Black driver in NASCAR since Wendell Scott in 1971.