JESSE: BUBBA WALLACE, A FAMILIAR
NAME AND FACE AFTER A CRAZY
WEEK.
NASCAR RELEASE NEW PICTURES OF
THE MOOSE FOUND IN HIS GARAGE
THAT LAUNCHED A HATE CRIME
INVESTIGATION.
THE FIEBD FOUND BUBBA WAS NOT
TARGETED AND THE ROPE HAD BEEN
THERE FOR MONTHS.
HOW YOU DOING?
>> GOOD.
JESSE: EVERYBODY IS HAPPY IT WAS
NOT A HATE CRIME AND YOU WERE
NOT TARGETED.
ONE OF YOUR TEAM MEMBERS,
AFRICAN-AMERICAN GUY NOTICED THE
ROPE HANGING DOWN THAT LOOKS
LIKE A NOOSE.
HE CONTACTS NASCAR, NASCAR
CONTACTS YOU AND THEY LAUNCH AN
FBI INVESTIGATION.
IS THAT HOW IT WENT DOWN?
>> YES, THE JUST OF IT.
DAVID CROPS, MY TEAM MEMBER.
I SPOKE TO HIM NUMEROUS TIMES
SINCE THE INCIDENT.
HE SAID BEFORE HE OVERREACTED HE
DID HIS RESEARCHED AND WALKED UP
AND DOWN THE GARAGE TO MAKE SURE
IT WASN’T A SYMBOL THROUGHOUT HE
IMRAWJ.
IT WAS ONLY OURS.
SO HE COULD BE TACTED THE CREW
TEAM.
THE FBI SAID THEY WOULD DO EGG
IN THEIR POWER TO CONTINUE THE
INVESTIGATION TO SEE WHAT’S
GOING ON.
TUESDAY SCWAR NOON THEY
CONCLUDED THEIR INVESTIGATION
AND FOUND THAT IT WAS FOUND TO
BE THERE SINCE 2019, AND I WAS
NOT THE TARGET OF A HATE CRIME.
BUT IN FACT IT WAS WORK.
NOT A WORKING NOOSE AS THEY SAY.
BUT IT WAS A NOOSE.
THE PHOTOS ARE BEING RELEASED TO
THE PUBLIC FOR THEM TO SEE, TO
SHOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT
WAS FACTUAL AND IT’S TIME TO
MOVE ON FROM IT NOW.
JESSE: NONE OF THE OTHER GARAGE
PULLS WERE SHAPED OR TIED LIKE A
NOOSE KNOT.
AND THIS WAS ONLY ON YOUR
GARAGE.
AS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WHEN YOU
SEE A NOOSE LIKE THIS YOU
IMMEDIATELY THINK THIS IS NOT
GOOD.
SO YOUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN TEAM
MEMBER SAW IT AND HE REPORTED IT
THE SAME WAY YOU WOULD SEE IT
THAT WAY.
NOW WE KNOW IT WAS NOT AN
INTENTIONAL HATE CRIME.
IS THERE ANY DOUBT IN YOUR MIND
THAT THIS WASN’T WHAT IT WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE?
>> THERE IS NO DOUBT.
I DIDN’T NECESSARILY THINK THAT
SOMEBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY WOULD
DO THAT.
DID I THINK A TRACK WORKER
POSSIBLY?
YES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GETTING
TO THE BOTTOM OF IT.
SOMEBODY HAS TIED THIS, WHETHER
IT WAS A BAD JOKE, WHATEVER
THEIR INTENT MAY HAVE BEEN,
WASN’T TO ATTACK ME OR SCARE ME.
IT WAS SIMPLY SOMETHING THAT
HAPPENED TO BE IN MY GARAGE FOR
THE NEXT RACE.
JESSE: YOU ARE SAYING SOMEONE
MAY HAVE TIED THIS AS A BAD JOKE
OR THEY MAY HAVE JUST TIED THIS
KNOT, THIS NOOSE, AS A WAY TO
PRACTICALLY PULL DOWN THE GARAGE
DOOR?
IT COULD HAVE BEEN AS INNOCENT
AS THAT.
>> WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THEIR
INTENT WAS.
IT WAS A GARAGE PULL IN THE
SHAPE OF A NOOSE.
JESSE: THE GOOD THING ABOUT
THIS, THE WAY YOUR TEAMMATES AND
THE ENTIRE NASCAR FAMILY RALLIED
AROUND YOU, YOU QUOT A LOT OF
LOVE FROM PEOPLE IN THE SPORT.
THAT MUST MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD.
DO YOU THINK THIS UNFORTUNATE
INCIDENT HELPED YOUR CAREER AS A
RACE CAR DRIVE OR HURT YOUR
CAREER AS A RACE CAR DRIVER.
>> THIS WASN’T A PUBLICITY STUNT
ON MY END.
I DON’T NEED THE FAME AND MEDIA
HYPE TO CREATE MY BRAND AND MY
IMAGE.
I AM 100% RAW AND REAL.
I JUST GO OUT AND GIVE IT MY ALL
ON THE RACETRACK.
I’M THE HUMAN BEING ALL THE REST
OF US ARE OFF THE RACETRACK.
TO SAY IT HELPED OR HURT MY
CAREER TO PULL OFF A PUBLICITY
STUNT.
I’M NOT SURE YOUR QUESTION IS
TRYING TO GET THERE.
WE SEEN ON MONDAY WE ARE A
FAMILY AND CAN COME TOGETHER
THROUGH THE TROUBLING TIMES TO
CREATE UNITY.
WHAT THIS WORLD NEEDS, IN DIRE
NEED RIGHT NOW TO HELP OUR
BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO FEEL
WELCOME AND WANTED.
NASCAR THAT I’M PROUD TO BE PART
OF HAS CONTINUED TO PUSH THEIR
EFFORTS TO INSURE DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSION.
JESSE: IT’S INTOLERABLE.
NOBODY SAID YOU HAD ANYTHING TO
DO WITH IT.
IT’S JUST P.R. ASPECT OF IT.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD DO
DIFFERENTLY ON HOW YOU HANDLED
IT OR WHAT YOU SAID?
OR DO YOU THINK YOU HANDLED IT
THE RIGHT WAY FROM START TO
FINISH.
>> GETTING THE INFORMATION
DELIVERED TO ME AFTER THE GARAGE WAS CLOSED, MAYBE BEING A LITTLE
WAS CLOSED, MAYBE BEING A LITTLE
BIT MORE PROACTIVE SEEING IT FOR
MYSELF.
GET AN I AM AND FOR MYSELF.
BUT -- GET AN IMAGE FOR MYSELF.
BUT I FELT I DID THE RIGHT
THING.
IT WAS IN THE SHAPE OF A NOOSE.
IT WAS A NOOSE.
EVERYBODY HAS SEEN THE IMAGE.
TO SAY WE WOULD DO THINGS
DIFFERENTLY?
MAYBE WORD THINGS DIFFERENTLY?
YES.
I WOULD FOLLOW NASCAR’S JUDGMENT
ON IT AGAIN.
JESSE: I THINK THE REASON NASCAR
BRINGS THE FBI IN IS THEY DON’T
WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
CLEARING THIS THING UP
THEMSELVES.
THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE IT’S
OFFICIALLY DONE AND EXECUTED IN
THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT SO THERE IS NO DOUBT
ABOUT HOW THE INVESTIGATION
UNFOLD.
BUBBA WALLACE.
MAYBE I’LL HAVE TO CHECK HIM OUT