Jesse Iwuji -- an African American driver who races in NASCAR's Truck Series -- says he's been the target of racist fans for years ... but the noose incident really struck a chord.
"That's literally one step away from carrying out the real action of lynching someone," Iwuji tells TMZ Sports.
"And, everyone knows what that noose means. It's racist, it's hate, and it just shows that you do not care, any bit, about our race."
Iwuji knows Bubba Wallace and feels "really sad" for the Cup Series driver .