Victory tradition muted out of respect
FORT WORTH — Kevin Harvick’s victory lane celebration Sunday lacked something that has been tradition at Texas Motor Speedway: the celebratory firing of a pair of pistols into the air.
Track President Eddie Gossage told USA TODAY Sports the decision was made out of respect for the 26 people killed at a church outside San Antonio.
“In light of what happened, it was the respectful thing to do,” Gossage said.
The six-shooter celebration has been a part of most race celebrations since the track opened in 1997.
The celebration has come under scrutiny before, including when some questioned the National Rifle Association’s sponsorship relationship with the track after the mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., in 2012.