Despite strong statements by NASCAR and its tracks to discourage fans from displaying the Confederate flag at races, the Stars and Bars were conspicuous at Daytona this weekend.
“A handful” of flags were flying Friday at Daytona International Raceway as fans filed into the track for this weekend’s racing, capped by Sunday night’s Coke Zero 400, The Charlotte Observer reported. More flags have since been hoisted.
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John Wilson of Dunnellon, Fla., said if NASCAR were to ban the flag, he would not attend the race.
“If they did, they’d have a (heck) of a fight on their hands,” Wilson said. “Otherwise, I’d just stay home and watch the race on TV. I wouldn’t waste my money coming here.”
NASCAR has long distanced itself from official ties to the Confederate flag. But in the wake of the flag’s ties to the recent mass shooting by Dylan Roof, a 21-year-old white man, at a predominately black church in Charleston, S.C., the sport has taken a strong stance on the issue. NASCAR chairman Brian France said he would like to ban the flag. Dale Earnhardt Jr. called the flag “offensive to an entire race” and said, “It belongs in the history books and that’s about it.”
And on Thursday, 30 racetracks across the U.S. and Canada — including all International Speedway Corp. and Speedway Motorsports Inc. tracks that are host to the majority of NASCAR events — issued a joint statement asking fans not to display the flag.
Yet the flags were flying in the Daytona infield and were in evidence elsewhere inside and outside the track, despite track president Joie Chitwood’s offer to trade an American flag for any other flag fans wanted to turn in on this Fourth of July weekend.
Race fan Alex Lee told USA Today that he doesn’t like the “simple-minded” association between the flag and racism.
“That’s a personal preference,” he said. “I don’t like the gay pride parades and the flags they are flying over there, either. That’s offensive to me.”
“It’s an absolute shame that it’s come to this. We should be able to fly it if we want to,” a fan told ClickOrlando.com.
The display of flags drew the predictable backlash on social media.
NASCAR needs to step into 21st century and ban confederate flags (by @by_drew) http://t.co/z2DDteRbLB pic.twitter.com/kDEDeuuJDP
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 4, 2015
But the flags also drew plenty of support on Twitter.
#NASCAR FAIL: No trade-ins of #ConfederateFlag made at Daytona http://t.co/jokBGTKXXY No deal @Nascar. #BoycottNascar pic.twitter.com/ihxXQIt6P9
— David L B (@dlb703) July 2, 2015
