Volusia County

NASCAR releases statement after prohibiting Confederate flag from all events, properties

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VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — NASCAR released a statement Wednesday afternoon after it decided to prohibit the Confederate flag from all its events and properties.

It said “the presence of the Confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment and the flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties."

The flag has been a staple at NASCAR events, with fans flying it during the races.

Read: NASCAR’s Ray Ciccarelli to leave at season’s end because of Confederate flag policy, other changes

NASCAR has not said how it will enforce the ban.

The ban came just a few days after the sport’s only full-time African American driver, Bubba Wallace, called for the flag to be removed.

“No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race. So, it starts with Confederate flags. Get them out of here,” Wallace said.

Read: NASCAR’s Bubba Wallace unveils Black Lives Matter race car

This is not the first time the flag has come under scrutiny from NASCAR.

In 2015, NASCAR decided after a mass shooting inside a Charleston, South Carolina church, it wanted the flag gone from its venues.

Daytona International Speedway offered fans the chance to swap it out for an American flag instead.

Read: NASCAR announces plan to allow limited number of fans at 2 upcoming events

Now, five years later, NASCAR is no longer making it an option.

Katlyn Brieskorn, WFTV.com

Katlyn Brieskorn is a Digital Assignment Editor at WFTV. She joined Channel 9 in July 2019.

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