REBEL FLAGS BANNED
No longer will it be permitted anywhere at its racing venues
Long a part of the racing promotion’s culture, Confederate flags will no longer be allowed at the races.
NASCAR banned the Confederate flag from its races and venues Wednesday, formally severing itself from what for many is a symbol of slavery and racism.
The move comes amid social unrest around the globe following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in Minneapolis while being detained by police. Protests have roiled the nation for days and Confederate monuments are being taken down across the South — the traditional fan base for NASCAR.
Confederate flags have been a familiar sight at NASCAR races over its 72-year history, dotting the infield atop RVs or being waved by fans in the grandstands, though the stock car series with its roots in moonshine running has in recent years taken cautious steps to sever the connection.
The issue was pushed to the fore this week as Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s lone black driver, called for the banishment of the Confederate flag and said there was “no place” for them in the sport. At long last, NASCAR obliged.
“The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry,” NASCAR said. “Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special. The display of the confederate flag will be prohibited from all
NASCAR events and properties.”
NASCAR said it would have no additional comment.
The move was announced before Wednesday night’s race at Martinsville Speedway where Wallace, an Alabama native, was driving Richard Petty Motorsports’ No. 43 Chevrolet with a #BlackLivesMatter paint scheme. Wallace was praised for his stance on Twitter from several athletes, including NBA star LeBron James, and for using the scheme in the race.
Wallace, wearing an American flag mask, clapped his hands when asked about the decision before the start of the race on FS1.
“It’s been a stressful couple of weeks,”
Wallace said.
Wallace wore a black “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirt but did not kneel during the national anthem. .
NASCAR did not address how it would enforce the policy or what might happen for fans who bring the Confederate flag to the track. There were no fans allowed Wednesday.
Five years ago, the flag issue was front and center for NASCAR after nine black churchgoers were slain in Charleston, South Carolina. The man currently on death row for the murders, Dylann Roof, had embraced Confederate symbols before the attack, prompting a reappraisal of the role such symbols play in the South.
NASCAR’s decision angered a contingent of flag loyalists, who stewed on social media. NASCAR helmet artist Jason Beam, who paints designs for some of the sport’s biggest stars, was among the loudest critics. He unleashed a string of tweets blasting the move, writing “You can’t erase history by picking and choosing what parts you want to keep and don’t won’t to keep.”
Martin Truex Jr. used a trip to NASCAR’s shortest track to end a lengthy losing streak.
Truex cruised down the stretch and won his first NASCAR Cup race of the season in the first race under the lights at Martinsville Speedway.
Truex, the 2017 Cup champion, has been one of NASCAR’s biggest winners over the last three years, but failed to find victory lane for Joe Gibbs Racing over the first 10 races of this season. He won 19 times from 2017-2019.
The race started shortly after NASCAR said the Confederate flag would be be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties.
The issue was pushed to the fore this week by Wallace, whose Chevy had “Compassion, Love, Understanding” on the hood. He finished 11th at Martinsville.
‘Our Black Lives Matter Chevrolet — that’s so good to say, right — was so good on the long runs,” Wallace said.
Martinsville capped a stretch of seven straight Cup races since it resumed without