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CASE ANALYSIS

NASCAR and the

Confederate Flag
Should NASCAR Ban The
Confederate Flag?

PREPARED BY
RYAN STEWART
FOR
CBL-5950-05: CAPSTONE I
HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY
FALL 2022
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW........................................3

POSITION STATEMENT.................. 3

ANALYSIS......................................... 4

RECOMMENDATIONS..................10
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OVERVIEW
NASCAR leadership is faced with the decision of
whether or not to ban the Confederate flag from their races.
In the wake of the murder of George Floyd in 2020, public
opinion against the flag was mounting. NASCAR can either
prohibit the flag, which is prevalent and popular among
fans, and risk losing them, or continue to allow its presence.
NASCAR wants to promote diversity and inclusion within
their community; however, NASCAR leadership also
understands that banning the flag will result in a loss of fan
attendance, television viewership, and even sponsorship.

POSITION STATEMENT
NASCAR leadership should ban the use of the
Confederate flag. They should do this because the flag is
widely regarded as a symbol of racism and hate,
Confederate flag supporters seem to be fading, and the fact
that NASCAR supports increased diversity and inclusion
with programs such as Drive for Diversity.

CRITERIA ONE
ANALYSIS: SYMBOLIZATION
OF RACISM
The first reason NASCAR
leadership should ban the
flag is because it is widely
associated with hate and
racism. Banning the flag
would benefit NASCAR and
dissociate them from the
flag. In the period after
Reconstruction, efforts to
memorialize the CSA began
to spread across the South.
By this time, the flag
represented resistance to
the Civil Rights movement
and to racial integration.
Even though most
Southerners claimed the flag
represented an "image of
the outlaw, of the person
who defies authority” and
“Southern heritage,” its
presence increased after
several Civil Rights
advancements, including
Brown v. Board. The
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Confederate flag became the
flag of several Southern
states, including Alabama,
South Carolina, and Georgia,
and even became
merchandisable, appearing
on clothing, mugs, and
countless other items. It's
presence in the South
increased to the point where
the NAACP economically
boycotted South Carolina for
15 years.
Banning the flag also
allows NASCAR leadership
to have races and events
without being concerned
about racial motivations.
Since NASCAR is deeply
rooted in the South, the
flag's presence at events is
inevitable. For example,
there are

CRITERIA ONE
ANALYSIS: SYMBOLIZATION
OF RACISM (cont'd)
several NASCAR events that
have featured the flag. As
will be mentioned again in a
later section, in 2015, there
was a racially-motivated
shooting at an African
Methodist Church. In
response, NASCAR asked
fans to bring the American
flag to the race instead of
bringing the Confederate
flag; some complied, while
most did not. As can be
understood from this
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example, NASCAR
leadership is aware that the
flag is highly symbolic of
racism and hate. They are
also aware that the flag is
not necessarily something
that they should be allowing
at their races. Because the
removal of the flag and its
presence at races will
reduce NASCAR's
association with it, NASCAR
leadership should ban it.

CRITERIA TWO
ANALYSIS: FLAG SUPPORT
IS FADING
The second reason
NASCAR leadership should
ban the flag is because
support for the flag is
already decreasing. This will
benefit NASCAR leadership
by eliminating supporters of
the flag from the pool of
NASCAR fans. According to
the case, the average fan is
white (91%), Republican
(38% opposed to 18%
Democrat), and aging. From
2006 to 2016, the average
age of the NASCAR fan base
increased from 49 to 58.
Based on this, it seems that
the fan base is aging out of
NASCAR.
In a study mentioned in
the case, respondents were
polled on their views about
the Confederate flag's
presence at NASCAR events.
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The study separated people
into groups based on,
among other things, political
affiliation. The results found
that the overwhelming
majority of those who
believe the flag should be
prohibited at NASCAR
events were Democrats. In
addition, respondents were
also separated by age
differences, and the
majority of people who
believe the flag should be
prohibited were 18-34 years
old, followed by people who
were 35-44. In addition, the
majority of those in support
of the Confederate flag at
NASCAR were 65 years old
or older, followed by those
who were 45-64 years old. It
can be inferred from
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CRITERIA TWO

ANALYSIS: FLAG SUPPORT

IS FADING (cont'd)
this data that the older will not hold the same
population tends to be in traditional beliefs about the
support of the Confederate Confederate flag that the
flag being present, while the older generations did. By
younger generations tend to banning the flag, NASCAR
have beliefs against it. The would face some short-term
case mentions that even losses in fan attendance and
though "NASCAR’s fan base television viewership;
was, by and large, pro- however, that attendance
Confederate flag, attitudes and viewership would be
in the United States about made up by the younger
Confederate symbols were generation. Because of this,
gradually changing, NASCAR leadership should
whether those symbols were ban the Confederate flag.
the flag or monuments of its
leaders." The case goes on to
mention that public support
for keeping Confederate
monuments had dropped
from 52% in 2017 to 44% in
2020. Since national
sentiment towards the flag
and what is represents is
fading away, the younger
generation of NASCAR fans

CRITERIA THREE
ANALYSIS: NASCAR FOSTERS
DIVERSITY
The third reason
NASCAR leadership should
ban the Confederate flag is
the fact that NASCAR
supports diversity and
inclusion and has made
several efforts towards
promoting inclusion in their
community. As it stands, if
NASCAR continues to allow
the presence of the
Confederate flag, it does not
help their public image
when it comes to supporting
diversity and inclusion. One
of the larger efforts NASCAR
has made is through their
Drive for Diversity
campaign. Launched in
2004, this program had the
aim of moving groups of
underrepresented people to
positions of crew,
ownership, and even
sponsorship. The guiding
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philosophy of the program
was “to create an inclusive
environment in all facets of
the NASCAR industry
recognizing the value of
diversity, which allows us to
go faster and farther in our
workplaces, at the race track
and in the stands."
More recently, and as
mentioned earlier in this
analysis, there was a
racially-motivated shooting
in 2015. In response,
NASCAR asked fans to leave
the Confederate flag at
home and instead to bring
the American flag. The case
mentions that NASCAR has
tried to eliminate the flag's,
as well as other racist
symbols', presence

CRITERIA THREE
ANALYSIS: NASCAR FOSTERS
DIVERSITY (cont'd)
from its' events. NASCAR
leadership recognizes that
the flag is a symbol of hate,
and they do not want that
associated with them. In
addition, they have gone on
record multiple times
stating their distaste and
disdain for the Confederate
flag. For example, in 2012,
NASCAR canceled a Dukes of
Hazzard prerace parade lap
to avoid a negative reaction
to an increasingly polarizing
symbol. A NASCAR
spokesperson said, “The
image of the Confederate
flag is not something that
should play an official role
in our sport as we continue
to reach out to new fans and
make NASCAR more
inclusive." In 2005, when
asked about the flag in a 60
Minutes interview, NASCAR
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Chairman Brian France
stated “It’s not a flag I look
at with anything favorable.
That’s for sure." Similarly, in
2006, then NASCAR
President Mike Helton said,
“We believe strongly that
the old Southeastern
redneck heritage that we
had is no longer in
existence. But we also
realize that there’s going to
have to be an effort on our
part to convince others to
understand that." All three
of these quotes signify that
NASCAR does not support
the Confederate flag in any
way. NASCAR leadership
should ban the presence of
the flag to keep in line with
their beliefs.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Though NASCAR leadership is faced with the decision of
whether or not to ban the Confederate flag from their races,
the information in this case analysis had laid out three
reasons in support of NASCAR leadership banning the
Confederate flag. First, the flag is a symbol of racism and
hate that NASCAR has tried to distance and dissociate
themselves from. Second, the older generations within the
NASCAR fan base who support the Confederate flag are
aging out. Soon, there will be more of the younger
generations in the fan base who do not hold to the
traditional, supportive views of the flag. Thirdly and finally,
NASCAR has already proven their support of diversity and
inclusion through diversity programs such as Drive for
Diversity as well as repeated public denouncements of the
flag and what it has come to represent. NASCAR leadership
should ban the use of the flag in order to preserve their
image and to further be able to promote diversity, equity,
and inclusion. Listed below are some short-term and long-
term recommendations for how NASCAR leadership should
proceed going forward. The flag does need to be banned,
albeit not immediately.
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SHORT-TERM
First, NASCAR leadership needs to inform the fan base
of their decision to ban the Confederate flag. In doing do,
NASCAR needs to explain why they reached this decision
(based on the three criteria listed in this analysis). In
addition, NASCAR needs to make sure the fans understand
that this decision does not come lightly and was made by
weighing the pros and cons of banning it or continuing to
allow it. They should also explain that they understand how
important southern heritage is to the fans, but
unfortunately NASCAR will no longer be allowing the
Confederate flag to be displayed in any way at races
because of the connotations of the flag and what it
represents.

Second, NASCAR leadership needs to inform the fans

that the flag is not being banned immediately. Within six
months, however, the flag will no longer be allowed to be
displayed in any form by fans and race attendees. In
addition, the fans should be made aware that if they are
caught displaying a Confederate flag in any way, there will
be punishments by way of warnings on the first offense,
fines on the second offense, and removal from the race if
there are multiple offenses or it fans are not willing to
comply
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LONG-TERM
At the end of the six-month period when the
Confederate flag ban officially goes into place, NASCAR
should have training to teach staff, security, etc. how to deal
with fans who insist on displaying the flag. This training
should happen every two years so staff members stay up-to-
date on correct procedures. The flag ban should be strictly
enforced for the foreseeable future.

Since NASCAR has made several statements promoting

diversity and inclusion, as well as started programs towards
that aim, they should continue to focus on and grow their
diversity and inclusion efforts. As mentioned in the case, the
younger generations of fans are more accepting of people
who come from different backgrounds. NASCAR should
initiate more programs aimed at supporting young,
multicultural people in the racing industry. By doing this,
they will be able to gather support and more young people
to be part of the fan base. These long-term
recommendations will take more time, but if done
effectively, can place NASCAR at the forefront of promoting
diversity and inclusion.
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ANALYSIS, PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW

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