Attend a NASCAR race, particularly in the South, and it’s not uncommon to see a Confederate flag flying inside the infield. Seeing that symbol — one frequently associated with white supremacy groups — makes team owner Brad Daugherty shake his head with disdain.
Daugherty, an African-American, is co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing, which fields a car for A.J. Allmendinger in the Sprint Cup Series. He is one of the few minorities involved in NASCAR at its upper levels.
“I will tell you, being an African-American man going to the racetrack and seeing the Confederate flag — and I’m a different egg or a different bird, I’m a Southern kid, I’m a mountain kid, I hunt and fish, I love racing, but to walk into the racetrack and there’s only few that you walk into and see that Confederate flag — it makes my skin crawl,” Daugherty told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Tuesday. “Even though I do my best to not acknowledge it or to pay any attention to it, it’s there and it bothers me because of what it represents.”
The fact the Confederate flag is still prominently displayed has come under scrutiny following the murder of nine African-Americans inside Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. last week. The alleged killer, Dylann Storm Roof, has been photographed posing with a Confederate flag. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley called for the removal of the flag from its statehouse on Monday.
Confederate flags have long been commonplace at NASCAR races, a sport with Southern roots, especially within the Deep South. Darlington Raceway, NASCAR’s only national touring series track within South Carolina, is about two hours north of Charleston.
NASCAR bars the sale of any merchandise featuring the Confederate flag, but doesn’t require its tracks to prohibit fans from flying the the flag inside. In a 2005 interview with 60 Minutes, NASCAR CEO and Chairman Brian France said free speech prevented the sanctioning body from banning the flag outright.
“I think that you get into freedom of speech and all of the rest of it,” France said. “All we can do is get behind the most important flag, the American Flag.”
NASCAR reiterated its stance condemning the Confederate flag in a statement Tuesday.
“As we continue to mourn the tragic loss of life last week in Charleston, we join our nation’s embrace of those impacted. NASCAR supports the position that South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley took on the Confederate flag on Monday. As our industry works collectively to ensure that all fans are welcome at our races, NASCAR will continue our long-standing policy to disallow the use of the Confederate flag symbol in any official NASCAR capacity. While NASCAR recognizes that freedom of expression is an inherent right of all citizens, we will continue to strive for an inclusive environment at our events.”
A supporter of free speech, Daugherty told SiriusXM if people want to display a Confederate flag in their private residence “that’s your business and I really don’t care.” But as an African-American, he’s offended when he has to see the flag in a public setting.
“The old heritage vs. hate thing, in my mind is ridiculous because that flag to any African-American person does not represent any type of heritage,” Daugherty said. “It 100 percent represents hate.”
International Speedway Corp., which owns 12 tracks that host Sprint Cup races, including Darlington, echoed NASCAR’s support of Haley. However, ISC did not state whether it would enact an outright ban of displaying the Confederate flag on its grounds.
“We join NASCAR in support of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley’s position on the Confederate flag,” ISC President John Saunders said in a statement. “ISC strives to ensure all fans are welcome to enjoy our events and maintains an inclusive environment at our facilities nationwide. ISC will continue our long-standing practice to prohibit the sale of Confederate flag material on our property.”
