NASCAR Truck Series Driver Ray Ciccarelli Quits After Ban on Confederate Flags

Ever since the death of George Floyd, national brands and sports leagues have been attempting to jump on the social media bandwagon of #BlackLivesMatter.

Some observers have criticized these brands of hijacking the tragedy and the movement for more publicity for themselves.

Fox News reports that Ciccarelli temporarily deactivated his social media accounts after widespread mockery:

Ciccarelli, 50, took to Facebook to announce that it has been a “fun ride and dream come true” to race, but he is concerned about NASCAR’s direction and will stop racing after 2020.

“I don’t believe in kneeling during Anthem nor taken ppl right to fly what ever flag they love,” he posted. “I could care less about the Confederate Flag, but there are ppl that do and it doesn’t make them a racist all you are doing is (expletive) one group to cater to another and i ain’t spend the money we are to participate in any political BS!! So everything is for SALE!!”

Ciccarelli's social media accounts were closed sometime after the post.

NASCAR announced on Wednesday that it will prohibit any images or displays of the Confederate flag at future events.

“The presence of the Confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry,” NASCAR said in a statement. “Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special. The display of the Confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties.”

The Houston Chronicle reported that Ciccarelli races part-time on the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. The report said that he raced 18 times in the last three years and never won a race.

If the current mockery is any indication, Ciccarelli may keep his accounts deactivated for some time.

While the confederate flag was banned, Bubba Wallace, the only black driver in NASCAR, drove a car imprinted with #BlackLivesMatter.

CNN reports:

NASCAR banned the Confederate flag from events two days after Bubba Wallace, the only full-time African American driver in NASCAR's Cup Series, went on CNN on Monday night and called for its removal.

"No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race. It starts with Confederate flags," Wallace told CNN's Don Lemon. "Get them out of here. They have no place for them."

Wallace raced in an all-black car on Wednesday with the words "#blacklivesmatter" on it, and wore a shirt that said "I Can't Breathe" on it in honor of George Floyd, the man killed by Minneapolis Police on May 25, which sparked nationwide unrest and protests in cities across the US. Thousands have marched to call for an end to racial discrimination and police brutality.

"The presence of the Confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry," NASCAR said in a statement before its race Wednesday night in Martinsville, Virginia.

"Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special. The display of the Confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties."

NASCAR runs three national series -- Cup, Xfinity and trucks -- and its race in Martinsville was held without fans in the stands due to state restrictions implemented to limit the spread of Covid-19.

Many Americans are beginning to get tired of the politicization of sports.

For example, the NFL has reversed course and appears to support players kneeling during the national anthem.

U.S. soccer players have appeared to suggest that they will kneel during the anthem at the next games that they play.

Hopefully sports can once again be a politics-free zone that unite the nation in friendly sportsmanship, not divisiveness.