NASCAR yesterday announced that it "supported the effort by South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the South Carolina Statehouse" in the wake of the Charleston shooting, according to Jim Utter of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. NASCAR "has a long-standing policy of not allowing the use of the Confederate flag symbol in any official NASCAR capacity, which will remain in place." This policy "includes the flag's use in paint schemes of competitors' cars and its use in areas of the track over which NASCAR has direct control, including garages, Victory Lane, the media center and driver/owner motorhome lots." NASCAR in '12 "nixed a plan" by Phoenix Int'l Raceway to have golfer Bubba Watson drive his General Lee car from "The Dukes of Hazzard" -- which features a Confederate flag on its roof -- on a "parade lap around the track." However, NASCAR as of now "has taken no public steps towards encouraging tracks on which it competes to ban race fans from bringing Confederate flags onto track property." Both ISC and SMI already "have policies in place banning the sale of merchandise that includes the Confederate flag" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/24). ISC President John Saunders in a statement said, "We join NASCAR in support of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley’s position on the Confederate Flag" (ISC). Daytona Int'l Speedway Senior Manager of PR Andrew Booth said that there "are no new policies that would prohibit fans attending the Coke Zero 400 next week from displaying the rebel flag, which is a common sight above encampments on the infield." The DIS fan guide states that flags "are acceptable as long as they do not obstruct another fan’s view of the race and are not attached to a flag pole." Small nationality flags attached to a pencil-sized diameter wooden stick "will be allowed." The guide "does not specify what types of flags are allowed" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 6/24).
LONGSTANDING ISSUE: ESPN.com's Bob Pockrass noted NASCAR fans "often fly flags from their campsites and motor homes while camping at the track." The Confederate flag, "while not as common as in the past, still is the flag of choice of some NASCAR fans, especially at places in the Deep South such as Darlington Raceway in South Carolina." NASCAR "has supported a program that would exchange flags of NASCAR drivers for Confederate flags at tracks" (ESPN.com, 6/23). The AP's Mark Long wrote NASCAR "probably would like to see" Confederate flags "go away" (AP, 6/23).
COLLEGE RANKS WATCHING: In South Carolina, David Caraviello notes the NCAA "is watching and waiting to see if the Confederate flag comes down" after the organization in '01 banned pre-determined events in South Carolina due to the Confederate flag's presence at the state capitol. An NCAA spokesperson yesterday said that until that happens, the organization’s policy "remains intact" (Charleston POST & COURIER, 6/24),
