NASCAR President Steve Phelps said Monday afternoon that the sport will permanently ban the person or people who hung the noose in Bubba Wallace’s garage stall at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Sunday.

Phelps underscored NASCAR’s conviction that “there is no place for racism” in the sport and said that the “heinous act” only strengthened its resolve to make stock-car racing welcome and open to all, then fielded questions.

NASCAR said in a statement that the noose was discovered in the late afternoon, on a day when its Cup Series race in Alabama was the first to have any fans in attendance since the organization banned all displays of the Confederate flag after Wallace pushed for such a move.

Jay E. Town, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, said in a statement Monday that his office, the FBI and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division “are reviewing the situation surrounding the noose that was found in Bubba Wallace’s garage to determine whether there are violations of federal law.

Wallace has said that in the wake of his call for NASCAR to ban the flag, he has received messages of support, including from some people who say they are following the sport for the first time.