The headlines for the year 2020 are being dominated by COVID-19 and the battle against social injustices and police brutality. The George Floyd tragedy has been the focal point of outrage, protest, unity, and discord. Despite the fact, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees missed the mark with his flag and military comments, NFL players seem to be united and supporting the same cause. The NBA appears to be on the same page as the NFL. Players have spoken out and shown support for the cause. While the issues have multiple sports leagues gelling together, the NASCAR circuit is showing signs of division.
The problems started on June 8th when the only full-time African American driver in the NASCAR Cup Series requested the auto racing body to ban the Confederate flag from the events. Two days later, his request was granted as NASCAR released a statement in regards to the display of the Confederate flag being prohibited from all NASCAR events. In the statement, NASCAR wrote, “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 history.”
Darrell “Bubba” Wallace was pleased with NASCAR’s decision on banning the Confederate flag. Fans of NASCAR were upset with the decision due to the fact they viewed the Confederate flag as part of their Southern heritage. To NASCAR’s credit, the majority of the drivers have shown support for Bubba Wallace.Â
However, the support wasn’t unanimous as Ray Ciccarelli, a part-time NASCAR truck driver, spoke out against the ban. He took it a step further by announcing he’s quitting because of the Confederate flag ban.Â
The biggest resistance is coming from the fan base. The majority of NASCAR fans don’t view the Confederate flag as a symbol of racism. They see the Stars and Bars as a representation of southern pride.Â
From a historical standpoint, the Confederate flag represents slavery, racism, and white supremacy. It was flown during the Civil War when 11 southern states defended the practice of slavery. Fast forward to the 1950s, during the civil rights movement, the Confederate flag was viewed as a symbol of segregation. The white supremacist group, the Ku Klux Klan, used the Confederate flag as their official emblem.
In addition to the Confederate flag controversy, NASCAR suffered another setback. Two weeks after African American race car driver Bubba Wallace pushed to have the Confederate flag banned from NASCAR, a noose was discovered in Wallace’s garage at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. One day after the noose incident, Bubba Wallace was joined by 39 other drivers and their crews as they marched down pit road and pushed Wallace’s No. 43 car to the front of the line moments before the race. The solidarity wasn’t unanimous as the son of former NASCAR driver Mike Skinner posted shocking comments in regards to the discovery of the noose. Dustin Skinner, who is also a former driver and current late model crew chief, posted on social media, “my hat is off to who put the noose at his car.” After receiving backlash for his comment, Dustin Skinner would later post an apology.
NASCAR released a statement regarding the finding of the noose. “We have launched an immediate investigation and will do everything we can to identify the person responsible and eliminate them from the sport.”
The FBI conducted an investigation and determined that Bubba Wallace was not a victim of a hate crime. The pull rope fashioned like a noose had been on the garage door since early October. Noose or no noose, the fact remains tension is in the air on the NASCAR circuit. The Confederate flag was banned from being displayed at NASCAR events, but supporters of the symbol lined their vehicles up outside Talladega Superspeedway waving their flags. A plane flew over the track carrying a banner of the Confederate flag, which read, “Defund NASCAR.” To make matters worse, it has been reported that a second noose was discovered at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California. An employee of the track found a noose hanging from a tree on raceway property.
