NASCAR owner Richard Petty is "enraged" by the noose found in driver Bubba Wallace's stall at Talladega Superspeedway ahead of this week's 500.
"I'm enraged by the act of someone placing a noose in the garage stall of my race team," Petty, 82, said in a statement. "There is absolutely no place in our sport or our society for racism.
"This filthy act serves as a reminder of how far we still have to go to eradicate racial prejudice and it galvanizes my resolve to use the resources of Richard Petty Motorsports to create change. The sick person who perpetrated this act must be found, exposed, and swiftly and immediately expelled from NASCAR.
"I believe in my heart that this despicable act is not representative of the competitors I see each day in the NASCAR garage area. I stand shoulder to shoulder with Bubba, yesterday, today, tomorrow and every day forward."
The FBI, the U.S. Attorney's office for the Northern District of Alabama and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division are investigating the incident at the Alabama racetrack.
Wallace, the circuit's only full-time black driver, has led the campaign to ban Confederate flags from NASCAR events.