Bubba Wallace described his past few days as 'just short of pure hell' after claims the noose found in his NASCAR garage was a hoax

• The NASCAR racer Bubba Wallace gave a new interview in which he described the past 24 hours as "just short of pure hell."
• Some observers have criticized the 26-year-old after an FBI investigation concluded that a noose found in his garage at Talladega Superspeedway over the weekend was a door pull that had been in the same spot for months and was not part of a hate crime.
• "Just a lot of BS going on," Wallace told the New York Post. "I wish I could convince everybody like I'm a good guy, you know?"
• Despite his frustration, Wallace said he was grateful for NASCAR's support and for the FBI "acting swiftly and treating this as a real threat."

"Just short of pure hell."

That's how the NASCAR racer Bubba Wallace described the past 24 hours in a new interview about the scrutiny he had been facing since an FBI investigation concluded he was not the victim of a hate crime at Talladega Superspeedway over the weekend.

NASCAR had released a statement Sunday saying a noose was found in Wallace's garage stall ahead of Monday's race; however, the FBI investigation concluded Tuesday that the rope was a door pull that had been in the same spot for at least eight months and was not targeting Wallace, who is NASCAR's only Black driver.

Though the FBI did not accuse Wallace of wrongdoing, its conclusion led some on social media to claim the incident was a setup by Wallace to gain traction for his campaign to rid NASCAR of Confederate imagery.

There is no evidence of that, and Wallace says such claims are "BS."

"I guess the last 24 hours — just short of pure hell," Wallace told the New York Post when asked to describe his emotions of the past couple of days. His comments were published Wednesday.

"Just a lot of BS going on. Just frustrating to read and hear.

"The false accusations and stuff that I'm kinda being put in the limelight of. But that's people's opinions. I wish I could convince everybody like I'm a good guy, you know?"

Wallace added: "People are quick to not listen to the facts and what I was saying is my side of the story. They're just quick to judge a book by its cover. You're not gonna change the opinions of those people. Their minds are too small. It's time for me to stop worrying about that and move on and continue to focus on the positives out of all of this."

When asked to confirm his belief that a noose was found in his garage, he said: "Yes sir, it was. Clear as day."

Despite being angered by the situation, Wallace says he is grateful for the support of both NASCAR and the FBI.

"It's been an emotional few days," the 26-year-old said in a post on Twitter. "First off, I want to say how relieved I am that the investigation revealed that this wasn't what we feared it was.

"I want to thank my my team, NASCAR, and the FBI for acting swiftly and treating this as a real threat. I think we'll gladly take a little embarrassment over what the alternatives could have been.

"Make no mistake, though some will try, this should not distract from the show of unity we had on Monday, and the progress we've made as a sport to be a more welcoming environment for all."

• Read more:
• FBI says noose found at NASCAR track had been there for at least 8 months with no foul play suspected
• All signs suggest the noose left in Bubba Wallace's garage was an inside job and NASCAR has vowed the person will be 'banned from the sport for life'
• You're not gonna take away my smile': Bubba Wallace offers emotional interview after finishing 14th at Talladega
• Bubba Wallace's mom says her son has been called the 'n-word' and told he doesn't 'belong' during races