NASCAR has completed its investigation into the noose found in the garage of African-American driver Bubba Wallace, without determining who did it or how it got in the stall.
On Wednesday, an FBI investigation into the incident that put a global spotlight on NASCAR determined that no federal crime had been committed.
The noose, a symbol connected to lynching and America's slave history, found in Wallace's stall at the Talladega Superspeedway may have been there since last October.
NASCAR continued its own probe to discover how the noose got into the garage and how it went unnoticed for so long.
While it was able to roughly pinpoint when the noose was made, given garage access and procedures at the time, there was no way to determine with any certainty who tied it and why.
NASCAR president Steve Phelps says the noose was not in place when last October's race began, but was created at some point during that weekend.
"We have completed our own investigation," confirms Phelps. "I could speculate, but it would not do any good.
"I know we like complete resolution here and have all the answers, but based on all the video and photographic evidence, and all the interviews, we were not able to determine who crafted the noose.
"I know that's not fulfilling, I wish there was more we could do, but we can't, so we have drawn this matter to a close."
After the incident, NASCAR conducted a sweep of all 29 tracks on its schedule and 1684 garage stalls, and found 11 with pull-down ropes tied in a knot and only one noose.
Going forward, Phelps says NASCAR will conduct routine sweeps of garages and install additional security cameras.
NASCAR will also consider changes to its code of conduct and sanctions, and mandate all members involved in the sport complete sensitivity and unconscious bias training.
Reuters
