NASCAR's Ray Ciccarelli Says He's Quitting Over Confederate Flag Ban

Ray Ciccarelli is done with NASCAR. When he heard the news of NASCAR banning Confederate flags at [...]

By Brian Jones

Ray Ciccarelli is done with NASCAR. When he heard the news of NASCAR banning Confederate flags at races, Ciccarelli went to Facebook to announce he's quitting. The NASCAR Truck Series driver is not a fan of the flag, but he believes some of the people who attend the races and have the flag aren't racist.

"Well it's been a fun ride and dream come true but if this is the direction NASCAR is headed, we will not participate after 2020 season is over," Ciccarelli wrote in his post, via CBS Sports. "I don't believe in kneeling during Anthem nor taken ppl right to fly whatever flag they love." 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 f—ing 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, 50, is a part-time competitor in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. In 18 races over a three-year span, he has no wins and only one top-10 finish.

NASCAR made the decision to ban the Confederate flag after Bubba Wallace, the only full-time black driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, said he's wanted the organization to no longer allow fans to bring in the flags. "No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race," Wallace said in an interview with CNN. "So it starts with Confederate flags. Get them out of here. They have no place for them." NASCAR made the decision hours before the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. When Wallace heard the news, he was very happy.

"This has been a stressful couple weeks," he said. "This is no doubt the biggest race of my career tonight. And it couldn't be at a more perfect place, where I got my first win in the Truck Series in 2013. Followed it up with that second win in 2014."

With the George Floyd protests going on all over the country, NASCAR decided to make the move to ban Confederate flags to fight against racism. In a statement, NASCAR president Steve Phelps said, "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."

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