A NASCAR Truck Series driver announced he is quitting in response to the sport’s new policy banning Confederate flags from events.
“I don’t believe in kneeling during Anthem nor taken ppl right to fly what ever flag they love,” Ray Ciccarelli posted on his Facebook page before deleting his account. “I could care less about the Confederate Flag, but there are ppl that do and it doesn’t make them a racist all you are doing is (expletive) one group to cater to another and i ain’t spend the money we are to participate in any political BS!! So everything is for SALE!!”
NASCAR announced on Wednesday that it would no longer allow the Confederate flag, an emblem that is seen by many as an endorsement of the racist motivations behind Southern secession during the Civil War, to be flown at official races or other events.
“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 industry,” NASCAR said in a statement. “Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special. The display of the Confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties.”
The Houston Chronicle reported that Ciccarelli has raced only 18 times in the past three years and has never won a NASCAR Truck Series race, finishing in the top 10 one time.
NASCAR’s only black driver and the first since 1971, Bubba Wallace, called for the flag to be banned at races following George Floyd’s death in police custody.
“No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race. It starts with Confederate flags,” Wallace told CNN’s Don Lemon. “Get them out of here. They have no place for them.”
“There’s going to be a lot of angry people that carry those flags proudly, but it’s time for change,” he added. “We have to change that, and I encourage NASCAR to have those conversations to remove those flags.”
