Source: Jared C. Tilton / Getty

The news that NASCAR‘s only African American driver in any of its top races found a noose in his team’s garage stall was even more disturbing considering that it was reported amid a series of hanging deaths of Black people across the country.

That came two weeks after Wallace called out NASCAR for its flying of the Confederate Flag as the nation protested against racism, successfully getting the stock car-racing league to remove the racist symbol.

“Today’s despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism,” Wallace said in a brief statement released on social media “Over the last several weeks, I have been overwhelmed by the support from people across the NASCAR industry including other drivers and team members in the garage.

The noose incident followed the abrupt resignation of one NASCAR driver who didn’t like the Confederate Flag being removed from races.

SEE ALSO:

NASCAR Driver Who’s Won Zero Races Quits Over Confederate Flag

‘These Are Not Suicides’: Series Of Suspected Lynchings Come As Nation Protests Racism