DARLINGTON, S.C. — Retro race car paintjobs and retro logos and signs greeted NASCAR fans as they arrived at Darlington Raceway this weekend for tonight’s Sprint Cup Southern 500. The marketing campaign was designed to create the appearance of one of the most legendary tracks on the circuit. like the early 1970s, again.
Fans were more than happy to complete the picture, much to the dismay of NASCAR.
Confederate flags flew from RVs across the infield and outside the track Friday morning, as they have for decades here. After all, the Southern 500 had long been known for playing Bowl as an anthem and featured a character named Johnny Reb – a man dressed as a Confederate soldier who stood atop the winning car with a rebel flag.
So NASCAR faced a recurring dilemma: How could a sport so tied to its Southern roots broaden its appeal nationally without alienating that base?
“I would say we’re always looking to make sure we’re satisfying our core fans and our longtime fans while also reaching out to a new audience,” Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. , said Thursday. “It’s a balance.”
And Darlington, like any track, embodies the struggle that NASCAR has faced trying to find that balance with an event that holds a special place in auto racing history.
The first Southern 500 at Darlington took place on Labor Day weekend in 1950. For 53 years, it was iconic, revered by some as much or more than the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 among the most important races of the year. But in 2004, NASCAR moved the holiday race to Fontana, California.
The Southern 500 suddenly disappeared.
Darlington has held one race per season, with changing dates, and the Southern 500 name returned in 2009. But the Labor Day date – after five years in California and six in Atlanta – only returned to South Carolina than this year.
And officials are determined not to have Confederate flags prominently displayed during broadcasts of the race. After all, NASCAR President Brian France said Confederate flags were no longer welcome at racetracks after a mass shooting at a church in nearby Charleston in June. For the Daytona race in July, track officials offered American flags in exchange for Confederate flags.
Darlington Raceway President Chip Wile instituted the same program this week. On Friday, track employees asked fans to remove their flags. The reason given: they were blocking lines of sight.
The fans weren’t buying it.
“If they say it’s in the way, that people can’t see across the track, how come they put (American) flags on all the race car drivers’ transporters ?” said Tyler Harris, 24, of Reidsville, North Carolina, who flew five Confederate flags on a 30-foot pole attached to an RV in the infield.
“There are a lot of young people and new people coming to the races now, not the old school,” said Brian Myers, 40, of Ridgeville, South Carolina. “They have to keep everyone happy. So they’re in a tough situation. I understand that. But they shouldn’t be asking us to take down our flags.”
