NASCAR Bans Confederate Flags at Races

Jeff MonaskiUpdated: June 10, 2020

HAMPTON, GEORGIA - JUNE 07: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #43 McDonald's Chevrolet, wears a "I Can't Breath - Black Lives Matter" T-shirt under his fire suit in solidarity with protesters around the world taking to the streets after the death of George Floyd on May 25 while in the custody of Minneapolis, Minnesota police stands on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 07, 2020 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

NASCAR is banning the display of confederate flags at all of its races.

The stock car racing league issued a statement on Wednesday saying the presence of the Confederate Flag runs contrary to their commitment of providing a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere.

NASCAR issued the following statement on its web site shortly before 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, just two hours before drivers began racing at Martinsville Speedway:

“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. 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.”

The statement specifically mentioned flags. It's not clear if fans would be prohibited from wearing hats, shirts or other regalia with Confederate emblems or insignia.

It should also be noted that at this point, the return of fans to any NASCAR racing series is on hold as a precautionary measure to stop the spread of coronavirus.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace, and Richard Petty Motorsports, are set to debut a new #BlackLivesMatter paint scheme on Wallace's No.43 McDonald's car at the Martinsville race Wednesday night.

In the above photo, Wallace is wearing an 'I Can't Breathe, #BlackLivesMatter' t-shirt, which he wore under his fire suit for at Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway this past Sunday, June 7.

DARLINGTON, SC - SEPTEMBER 06: Confederate flags are seen flying over the infield campground prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 6, 2015 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images)

In this photo dated 2015, several Confederate flags can been seen on display during a race at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.

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