Nascar’s ban of the Confederate flag got off to a checkered start on Sunday afternoon with the Geico 500 at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway, the first large-scale sporting event in the US to allow fans to attend since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Cup series race was the first Nascar event with spectators since the organization banned the Confederate flag from its properties earlier this month, formally distancing itself from what for many is a symbol of slavery and racism but which has been a familiar sight at stock car events for more than 70 years.
It was hardly an ordinary race day, even before the lousy weather.
The normal hordes of partying fans were nowhere to be seen. Only 5,000 fans were allowed in because of the pandemic, with up to 44 RVs. Confederate flags were hard to find too, except for a plane circling above the track with the message “DEFUND NASCAR” trailing behind the flag and a rolling protest outside the grounds.
Nascar has not disclosed how it will handle fans who do fly Confederate flags.
The race start was delayed by heavy rain and lightning.
“It’s weird. It’s eerie,” said David Radvansky, 32, from suburban Atlanta, who brought his wife and boys aged three and six.
“We usually camp over here. There’s nobody here and you can’t bring a beer cooler in. It’s going to be a little bit different.”
Fans had to go through screening and wear masks to get in, though a few were walking around inside without face coverings. Lines seemed to flow quickly and the sun was shining until about an hour before the race, when rain and lightning started.
Bathrooms had arrows directing which way to enter or exit, and attendants held signs urging patrons to please wear masks.
Confederate flags weren’t absent altogether. Nascar’s enforcement problem was underscored by the group of roughly two-dozen protesters on pickup trucks and wagons. Carrying the flag, they drove back and forth along Speedway Boulevard.
“Our southern heritage has been pushed to death and we are tired of it,” Alabama native Charles Burdette, who organized the demonstration, told Kickin’ the Tires. “Nascar is going to be a thing of the past. They are taking everything out for what it stands for. It was put together by rednecks, moonshiners and hillbillies.”
Ed Suggs’ merchandise tent flew Confederate flags prominently, alongside Trump for 2020 banners and an American flag.
“They’re doing very well,” said Suggs, a resident of the nearby town of Helena, who has been selling an array of wares at Nascar races for 21 years.
“People are disappointed that Nascar has taken that stance. [The flag has] been around for as long as all of us have been. I don’t think anybody really connects it to any kind of racism or anything. It’s just a Southern thing. It’s transparent. It’s just a heritage thing.”
But Radvansky, who started coming to Talladega in the 1990s when his father parked cars at races, disagreed. He applauded Nascar’s decision to ban Confederate flags.
“I don’t think there’s a place for it in Nascar, to be honest with you,” the 32-year-old said. “That doesn’t sit well with all the good ole boys but it is what it is.”
The green flag for Sunday’s race was delayed for several hours due to the inclement weather in the area, before it was postponed until Monday afternoon.
