Posted on 10/08/2005 8:34:24 AM PDT by jern
NEW YORK -- NASCAR CEO Brian France doesn't like fans flying Confederate flags at races as he tries to make auto racing more appealing to minorities and women.
"It's not a flag that I look at with anything favorable. That's for sure," he said in an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" to be aired Sunday. "I can't tell people what flag to fly. I can tell you the flag we get behind: It's the American flag."
France is trying to broaden auto racing's appeal with minorities in places like Los Angeles, where France moved the important Labor Day NASCAR event last year, and New York, soon to have a track.
"[Reaching out to minorities] is something I work on every day. I work on it personally," France said.
Among those efforts France counts running a NASCAR event in Mexico and establishing a training program for female and minority drivers. And he doesn't believe the racial stereotypes associated with the Confederate flag will affect NASCAR.
"I think it's a fading image," France said.
It's not the Confederate Flag - it's the Confederate Battle Flag.
And there's nothing wrong with flying it. 99.9% of the people who fly it are NOT racist. Enough.
Sad that PC has even infected NASCAR.
Although I don't blame France for trying to grow the sport/skill beyond its original 'base.'
I do. He's an idiot.
Southern Nascar fans should tell him to stick it in his ear. Let them walk and then he can have all the minorities and women he wants.
See where that gets him.
These people make me sick.
He's not an idiot, but he could do it (grow NASCAR) without bashing the CBF.
I doubt too many fans will leave b.c of this.
I'm not a fan anyways. Too many yellow flags, which last too long.
For example, Clinton's use of it with regard to that local Reverend in Little Rock. Over at DU, when MSNBC put an extra "G" in Niger Inis' first name at the bottom of the screen, they had a good laugh and couldn't decide what was funnier, calling him a "Republican Strategist" or that racial insult. Yeah, they're not racist...much.
Where is this jacka** from?
Figures this guys name is FRANCE. Yeah go ahead and kill off your fan base and surrender to the PC crowd.
Screw him, and all others bitten by the PC bug, and/or guided by misinformation and/or greed.
He's an idiot just like every other idiot that cowtows to minorites and kicks majorities in the teeth.
As for the fans not leaving.. maybe not. Probably not.
I'm not a fan either, but I'm tired of the idea it is somehow ok to offend majorities, but not minorities.
Just one time, if the majority would tell these creeps to shove it and stick to it, the whole floppy house of PC would come tumbling down.
Brian France's grand-daddy, Bill France Sr., would have written the whole silly family out of his will if he'd known what they were going to do with his beloved NASCAR.
Bill Sr. was a political conservative, and a Southern gentleman. His grandson Brian is a pathetic, pandering wimp.
Where's the "freeper" named "stand watie" when you need him?
Hmmmm...how do I say this?
UHM.....
EFF-FRANCE!
It's a stretch to call Adrian Fernández the future of NASCAR. But that's who he is to a budding legion of Latino racing fans who consider him the "Dale Earnhardt of Mexico."
The 42-year-old former Indy car driver, who will compete for a spot in tonight's Busch race, hopes to help lure thousands of Latino fans to one of America's fastest growing sports.
Race officials hope the rock-star-like Fernández, once named "Athlete of the Year" in Mexico, will fill American grandstands with fans waving flags of red, white and green.
"Mexican flags in the stands would be a great thing," said Ramsey Poston, NASCAR's managing director of corporate communications. "Adrian is an important part for us to raise awareness among minority communities, especially the Hispanic community. His star power makes it easier for us to do that."
Just so I have this straight. Confederate flag over NASCAR celebrating our heritage is bad. Mexican flag is good
I'm from SC and have noticed an increased display of 1st national flags and Bonnie Blue flags since the controversy over the Battle flag. Many Southerners are ashamed to display the Battle flag for fear of being called a "racist"
"Enough."- Sadly, the NAACP has an insatiable appetite for the destruction of Southern symbols. If the Battle flag is banned in public, the NAACP will go after the 1st national flag. Very sad.
I was at this weekend races for 3 days and I saw plenty of Battle Flags.
Well, that's too bad.
The Confederate Battle Flag is based on the 'heraldic saltire' which is related to the St Andrews Cross and the St Patrick's Cross. In general, the design is associated with 'rebellion, patriotism, self-determination, dissent, freedom, and liberty'.
Foreign concepts all in the 'land of the free and the home of the brave' these days.
Too bad.
Sorry dude. Not trying to resurrect a lazarus thread.
Just searched for NASCAR threads and didn’t note the date.
We need more NASCAR threads! :-)
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