Posted on June 24, 2020

The NASCAR Fake Hate Crime

Gregory Hood, American Renaissance, June 24, 2020

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NASCAR recently banned Confederate flags at its events. One reason it did this was because the league’s only black full-time driver, Bubba Wallace, said there was “no place for them.” Not long after this decision, there was a report that somebody put a “noose” in Bubba Wallace’s garage. The league responded with a massive show of support for Mr. Wallace.

NASCAR President Steve Phelps said the culprit(s) would be “banned for life.” “I don’t care who they are, they will not be here,” he said. The FBI also went right to work.

Like so many others, I suspected this was fake. Hate hoaxes are common, and sometimes, people who seem to be looking for things to protest misinterpret innocent objects. In one egregious case, a “noose” at Michigan State University turned out to be a shoelace. Just a few days ago, “nooses” found in a Oakland park were exercise ropes put up by a black man.

Still, you never know. I didn’t say anything. American Renaissance didn’t say anything. We waited for the investigation. Ben Shapiro, Nikki Haley, and Steve Phelps did not.

Mr. Wallace said it was offensive that anyone would doubt the story.

While radical groups destroy American icons, attack police, and build quasi-independent territories within American cities, the FBI sent 15 agents to investigate the “noose.” Now, we have the report. The FBI found that the “noose” was in the garage in October 2019. Mr. Wallace wasn’t assigned the garage until last week. As the FBI noted, “nobody could have known Mr. Wallace would be assigned to garage number 4 last week.” There will be no charges.

The FBI’s statement said nothing about what the “noose” was for, nor did it include a picture. Mr. Wallace’s mother had said that though the garage had surveillance cameras, they did not show where the noose was hung. However, NASCAR tweeted that the “noose” was just a garage-door pull rope, exactly what many had been saying on Twitter. “We appreciate the FBI’s quick and through investigation and are thankful to learn this was not an intentional, racist act against Bubba,” NASCAR added. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all who love racing.”

NASCAR claims that it checked every garage stall and “only one had a noose as part of the pull down.” Steve Phelps says that NASCAR is reportedly investigating why there was a “noose” at all.

Of course, it wasn’t a noose. A hangman’s noose is a fancy slip knot that very few people know how to tie. And the loop is big enough to slip over your head. This was just a rope with a loop at the end, just big enough to put your hand through so you could pull on the rope. Who tied a loop is hardly worth investigating, but two FBI agents (or one guy at 4chan) could probably figure it out with no trouble. Let us not forget that Mr. Phelps said that no matter who was responsible, he would be banned from NASCAR for life.

As for Bubba Wallace, he reportedly did not make the initial report, and may not even have seen the “noose.”  But now, in an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon, he says it was a “straight up noose.”

Maybe he saw a picture of the “noose.”

It is easy to criticize the person who first reported the rope; it was pretty clearly a pull-down cord. But the real fool is NASCAR’s boss, Steve Phelps. He should apologize to his fans, to the FBI, and to the country for jumping to a stupid, anti-white conclusion. I think he should write a check to a white-advocacy organization for generally insulting whites, and pledge that he will try not to swallow the next hoax. American Renaissance would be a good choice.

In the meantime, you can contact NASCAR on Twitter @NASCAR or by joining the NASCAR Fan Council. Be polite and respectful.

About Gregory Hood

View all posts by Gregory Hood
Mr. Hood is a staff writer for American Renaissance. He has been active in conservative groups in the US. You can follow him on Gab.