NASCAR will not ban Confederate flag from tracks
 

[June 24, 2015]  The Sports Xchange
 
 While NASCAR endorsed efforts on Tuesday to remove the Confederate flag from the statehouse in Charleston, S.C., it's likely that the flag will not be banned from the organization's racetracks.

NASCAR released a statement saying it supports South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's call to remove the symbol.

Haley and other state leaders, including South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier, have been vocal about removing the flag in the wake of last week's deadly shooting at a Charleston church.

"The South Carolina football team, players and coaches strongly support Governor Haley's decision to remove the flag from the capitol," Spurrier tweeted Tuesday afternoon.

Dylann Roof is accused of killing nine black members of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime.

Since the killings, photos of Roof posing with the Confederate flag have emerged. The flag is a symbol often associated with white supremacists, but also is embraced by many who see it as a symbol of Southern heritage.

"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," NASCAR said in a statement. "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."

It's not uncommon to see Confederate flags flown in the infield at many NASCAR races. Based on the statement, those flags will continue to fly. South Carolina officials said Tuesday that citizens will be still be able to fly the flag at their homes.

South Carolina is home to Darlington Raceway, which is about two hours north of Charleston. The Sprint Cup series will race at Darlington on Aug. 6.

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