Though New Hampshire fought on the side of the Union in the Civil War, fans flying the Confederate flag are sometimes among those in attendance at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. That practice may end as a result of NASCAR’s recent request that its fans stop displaying the “Stars and Bars” at its events.
The June 17 massacre by an avowed white Supremacist of nine people — including a state senator — at Charleston, South Carolina’s historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church has triggered widespread efforts by government officials to discourage the display of the Confederate flag or other references to the Confederacy. Critics contend the flag is a symbol of racial intolerance.
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NASCAR and the tracks that host its racing events responded by issuing a joint statement July 2 asking fans to no longer display
Confederate flags at their events, Auto Racing Daily reported. The operators of New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon were among the statement’s signers. NASCAR did not issue an outright ban on Confederate flags at its events.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway annually hosts two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races: the New Hampshire 301 and the Sylvania 300,
according to the speedway’s website.
Complying with NASCAR’s request would require changes in behavior for at least some of its fans.
The New York Times reported: “Confederate battle flags have been common at NASCAR racetracks for decades, with fans often flying them above their motor homes along with American flags and banners of their favorite drivers. NASCAR, with its predominantly white Southern fan base, has always tolerated the presence of the flag at its races even after banning it from official use.”
Still, USA Today said of the Stars and Bars, “The flag, once-ubiquitous at NASCAR races, had seen a slow but steady decline in recent years.”
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