NASCAR, citing the FBI report, described the article as a "rope-shaped garage door pull cord".
"The FBI has learned that garage number 4, where the noose was found, was assigned to Bubba Wallace last week," the agency said in a statement on Tuesday. "The investigation also revealed evidence, including an authentic video confirmed by NASCAR, that the vise found in garage number 4 was in this garage as early as October 2019. Although the vise is now known to have been in garage number 4 in 2019, no one could have known that Mr. Wallace would be assigned to garage number 4 last week. "
Wallace had not responded publicly to the FBI conclusions on Tuesday evening. NASCAR said it had never seen the noose.
NASCAR issued a statement regarding the FBI decision saying, "We appreciate the FBI's prompt and thorough investigation and are grateful to learn that this was not an intentional racist act against Bubba."
"We remain firm in our commitment to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for all those who love racing," said NASCAR.
Richard Petty Motorsports, who uses Wallace's # 43 car, issued a statement saying that one of his employees "discovered a rope tied like a noose in the garage" attributed to Wallace.
Petty employees followed the protocol and informed NASCAR about it, the statement said.
"No member of Richard Petty Motorsports, nor Wallace was involved in the presence of the rope," said the statement.
Also on Tuesday, the Wood Brothers Racing team said via Twitter that a member of their team remembered seeing a noose-like rope hanging in the garage in the fall of 2019. This information was passed on to Competent authorities in the NASCAR investigation, the Wood brothers said.
The discovery of the noose on Sunday afternoon in Wallace's garage in Talladega came as the United States, and NASCAR in particular, were more clearly addressing American systemic racism following the police murder of George Floyd.
Wallace, the only black driver in the NASCAR upper circuit, has been a staunch supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and related protests against racism and police brutality.
NASCAR President Steve Phelps said on a teleconference on Tuesday that the FBI's conclusion was "the best we could hope for."
"Team (No.) 43 had nothing to do with it," said Phelps. Wallace drives car # 43.
"The evidence is very clear that the vice that was in this garage was before," continued Phelps. "The last race we had there in October, that noose was present, and it was - the fact that it was not found until a member of Team 43 came there - downstairs is something that is a fact. We hadn't gone back to the garage. It was a quick daytime show. The crew member went back there. He looked and saw the noose, brought it to the attention of its team leader, who then went to NASCAR series director Jay Fabian, and launched this investigation.
"To be clear, we would do it again. From the evidence we had, it was clear that we had to look into this matter."
Phelps did not respond to media questions during the call.
A spokesperson for NASCAR said on the call that, although the federal investigation has ended, the NASCAR investigation continues.
Wallace wore an "I Can't Breathe" shirt before an event, repainted his car with the phrase "Black Lives Matter" and called on NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag, which the organization agreed to do on June 10.
Wallace tweeted Sunday that "the despicable act" left him "incredibly saddened and painfully reminds us of how far we have to go as a society and how hard we must persevere in the fight against racism".
"It won't break me, I won't give in and I won't back down. I will continue to proudly stand up for what I believe in," said Wallace.
On Monday, NASCAR pilots, pit crew members and others walked alongside Wallace and escorted car # 43 in support of the race.
CNN's Dianne Gallagher and Kevin Dotson contributed to this report.
