Nascar has banned the display of the Confederate flag at its events.
The US-based motor-racing organisation said the presence of the flag at its events “runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment” for fans and competitors.
Nascar’s only black full-time driver, Bubba Wallace, had called for the flag to be banned from racetracks where it had become a common sight.
“Get them out of here. They have no place for them, ” he told CNN.
The Confederate flag has been a common sight at Nascar circuits, particularly in the sport’s southern US heartland, but for many remains a symbol of slavery and racism.
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“No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a Nascar race. It starts with Confederate flags,” said 26-year-old Wallace.
Wallace, who in 2013, became the first black driver to win a Nascar event since Wendell Scott in 1963, has been vocal in support of protests following the death of George Floyd.
Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes on 25 May.
On Wednesday, Wallace competed in a race at Martinsville with a new livery on his car featuring the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.
BBC
