Sonoma Raceway Officials Investigating Apparent Noose Found on Track Property

Officials at Sonoma Raceway are investigating "a piece of twine tied in what appeared to be a noose" hanging from a tree on the raceway's property, according to ESPN.

Sonoma Raceway president and general manager Steve Page issued a statement: "Our staff, on-site business tenants and local law enforcement have been contacted and asked to share any information they may have. The incident is under investigation by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department."

This comes after NASCAR announced a noose was discovered in the garage stall of Bubba Wallace at Talladega Superspeedway:

Wallace, the only Black full-time driver in NASCAR, had called for NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag from all of its events, which the organization did shortly after his comments.

Prior to Monday's GEICO 500, a group of drivers helped push Wallace's No. 43 car to the front of pit road as a show of solidarity:

A limited number of fans were permitted to attend the race. Following the conclusion, Wallace walked up to a group that had assembled at the catch fence and delivered an emotional interview:

In addition to an internal investigation by NASCAR, the Associated Press' Jenna Fryer reported the FBI and Justice Department are involved in determining the source of the noose at Talladega.

The NASCAR Cup Series traditionally makes a stop at Sonoma Raceway every year. The 2020 installment was originally scheduled for June 14, but the race was canceled amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.