Confederate flag may be banned at races

NASCAR began asking fans to stop bringing Confederate battle flags to races in 2015, after photos circulated online of the white man who killed nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, posing with the flag.

But many in NASCAR’s predominantly white Southern fan base have ignored the request and brought the flag anyway, hoisting it atop campers and RVs on fields around racetracks.

On Monday, following days of nationwide protests calling for an end to racism and police brutality, Darrell Wallace Jr., the first black driver in 50 years to win one of NASCAR’s top three national touring series, called on NASCAR to ban the flags outright.

“No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race,” Wallace, who is known as Bubba, told Don Lemon of CNN. “So it starts with Confederate flags. Get them out of here. They have no place for them.”

NASCAR and the Confederate battle flag were once seen as entwined. The flag has been ubiquitous at places like Darlington Raceway near Florence, South Carolina, where the annual Southern 500 is held and where fans often showcased the emblem on baseball caps, coolers and Tshirts. But as NASCAR has tried to broaden its fan base and expand to other parts of the country, leaders and drivers have pushed for more diversity in the sport and tried to show solidarity with people of color.

NASCAR representatives did not immediately respond to calls and emails seeking comment. On Sunday, at a race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR’s president, Steve Phelps, delivered a message over the loudspeaker in which he urged fans and NASCAR drivers to recognize the pain that black people and other people of color “have suffered in our country.” NASCAR SET TO ALLOW FANS BACK IN FLORIDA, ALABAMA » NASCAR is set to allow fans back at the track for races this month at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

NASCAR will allow up to 1,000 Florida service members, representing the Homestead Air Reserve Base and U.S. Southern Command in Doral, to attend the Cup Series race Sunday as honorary guests and view the race from the grandstands.

Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama will allow up to 5,000 guests in the frontstretch grandstands/ towers for the June 21 Cup race. There will be limited motorhome/camping spots available outside the track.

Football

GURLEY PASSES PHYSICAL

WITH FALCONS, IMPRESSES RYAN » Todd Gurley’s deal with the Atlanta Falcons was finalized and became official after the running back passed his long-awaiting physical, according to multiple reports.

Gurley agreed to a oneyear, $5.5 million deal with the Falcons one day after he was released by the Los Angeles Rams. But NFL facilities were closed and inperson physicals were prohibited at the height of free agency in March, forcing teams to shake on deals contingent on the completion of medical evaluations.

Gurley, 25, was released by the Rams after a steep drop-off in production in 2019 and questions about the health of his left knee, in which he has an arthritic condition.

Tennis

DJOKOVIC THINKING OF SKIPPING US OPEN FOR FRENCH OPEN PREP » Top-ranked Novak Djokovic is thinking of skipping the U.S. Open — if it is played — and instead returning to competition on clay ahead of the rescheduled French Open.

Speaking to Serbia’s state broadcaster RTS on Tuesday, Djokovic said the restrictions that would be in place for the Grand Slam tournament in New York because of the coronavirus pandemic would be “extreme” and not “sustainable.”

Like many sports, tennis went on hiatus in March because of the COVID-19 outbreak. All sanctioned tournaments have been scrapped until at least late July. That includes the French Open, which was supposed to end last weekend but was postponed until September, and Wimbledon, which was canceled for the first time since 1945.

The U.S. Tennis Association is expected to make a decision as soon as next week about whether to hold the U.S. Open. Main-draw play is scheduled to begin Aug. 31.

Golf

LPGA LOSES A MAJOR AS EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP IN FRANCE CANCELED » The LPGA Tour lost its first major because of the COVID-19 pandemic when it announced Tuesday the Evian Championship in France has been canceled this year.

The LPGA Tour cited ongoing travel and border restrictions, along with government quarantine requirements for not holding the tournament on Aug. 6-9. It will return to the schedule next year in Evian-lesBains.

The LPGA Tour is set to resume in Ohio with the Marathon Classic on July 23-26. For now, it has majors scheduled in August, September, October and December.