Charles Ivey climbed to the top of his bus parked on the infield campground at Texas Motor Speedway and proudly hoisted the Confederate battle flag on Thursday afternoon.
He’d never flown the flag during a race weekend but felt compelled to do so for this weekend’s NASCAR tripleheader event at TMS, which concludes with Sunday’s AAA Texas 500.
This is the first race weekend at the speedway since NASCAR and the track itself in July encouraged fans to leave Confederate flags at home after a racially charged church shooting in South Carolina that left nine worshippers dead.
But that request has fallen on deaf ears of some race fans who firmly believe it’s their right to fly the flag. Ivey and a handful of other race fans are flying the Confederate flag this weekend. The flags aren’t overly prevalent around the track, but it doesn’t take a long search to spot them around the infield.
“I have the right to fly it just as much as they have a right to tell me not,” said Ivey, 52, of Greenville.
More @ The Kansas City Star
What's up with NASCAR dissing diversity?
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteHEH!
ReplyDeleteTrying to ban the Confederate flag from a NASCAR event would be like trying to ban sand from the beach.
Ain't. Gonna. Happen.
At least, not if they want enough fans there to pay for the event.
Central Alabamaian
But, it's racissssst! :)
Delete"But, it's racissssst! "
DeleteWell, it's a race, ain't it? :)
Central Alabamaian
:)
DeleteI've never been to a race but this makes me want to go.... just to fly one!
ReplyDeletePrecisely. Tell an American that he can't do something and.........:)
Delete