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North Carolina speedway owner offers ‘Bubba Rope’ for sale

Raceway holding 'Heritage Night,' encouraging fans to purchase Confederate flags

The Associated Press

Tags: Bubba Wallace, North Carolina, racism, protest, NASCAR, Talladega
Driver Bubba Wallace, right, is overcome with emotion as he and team owner Richard Petty walk to his car in the pits of the Talladega Superspeedway prior to the start of the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega Ala., Monday June 22, 2020. In an extraordinary act of solidarity with NASCARs only Black driver, dozens of drivers pushed the car belonging to Bubba Wallace to the front of the field before Mondays race as FBI agents nearby tried to find out who left a noose in his garage stall over the weekend. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) (John Bazemore, Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

DANBURY, N.C. (AP) – The owner of a North Carolina racetrack advertised “Bubba Rope” for sale in a social media marketplace days after NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, who is Black, announced a noose had been found in his garage at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

Mike Fulp, the owner of the half-mile (0.8 km) 311 Speedway in Stokes County, made the pitch Wednesday on Facebook Marketplace: “Buy your Bubba Rope today for only $9.99 each, they come with a lifetime warranty and work great.‘'

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Fulp’s Facebook followers criticized his ad, with some self-described loyal spectators saying they would stop attending events at the dirt track because of the post. More critical comments appeared on the speedway’s Facebook page Thursday.

No one answered the phone at the speedway Thursday and the inbox couldn't accept a message seeking comment. The ad had been taken down by midday Thursday.

‘The noose was real’ - NASCAR releases photo from Talladega

A Facebook post on Fulp’s page Monday announced the speedway is sponsoring a “Heritage Night” on Saturday. A subsequent post on the event encouraged fans to purchase a variety of items, including Confederate flags and caps, and added, “don’t forget your 2nd Amendment Right, 311 Speedway.”

NASCAR officials released a photo Thursday of the rope found Sunday in Wallace’s garage stall that prompted a federal investigation, which determined it had been there since October.

This photo provided by NASCAR shows the noose found in the garage stall of Black driver Bubba Wallace at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala., on Sunday, June 21, 2020. The discovery prompted a federal investigation that determined the rope had been there since at least last October. (NASCAR via AP)

The incident placed racism front and center for NASCAR, which two weeks ago banned the Confederate flag from its venues and races at Wallace’s urging. It also sparked criticism from some fans that NASCAR had somehow overreacted — criticism the sanctioning body cited in releasing the photo taken by NASCAR security.

NASCAR moved quickly and by Monday, FBI agents were at the Alabama track. On Tuesday, authorities said the rope had been used as a door pull since last fall and thus was not a hate crime targeting the 26-year-old Wallace.

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Copyright 2020 Associated Press. All rights reserved

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