In June 2020, NASCAR announced that it was permanently banning the display of the Confederate flag in all its events and race tracks. In its official statement, it reasoned that the flag ran contrary to its intention of making the sport welcoming and inclusive for fans and competitors. Four years later, President Steve Phelps spoke about the decision while explaining the importance of change.
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He said on ‘Rebound’ that though he was proud of stock car racing’s Southern heritage, the journey forward had to involve a broader spectrum of audience. The only validation that he needed to go ahead with the ban was from the sanctioning body’s owners and when he had that, Phelps acted. Initially, there’d been the worry that the sport’s entire existing fan base could not take well to it. But he stayed firm.
“I knew we were gonna lose a minority of folks who just… this isn’t their cup of tea anymore,” he said to the host, Matt Doherty. “I understand that. But I was certain that we could bring others to the sport. You know, younger, more diverse people into the sport. Both working at NASCAR, the ownership of NASCAR, and then the fan base itself.” Thankfully, Phelps’ stubbornness ended up working wonders.
Within just a few weeks athletes, celebrities, and youngsters from different ethnic backgrounds began showing interest in stock car racing. He continued, “At the end of the year we were one of the fastest [growing] top 10 brands – not sports – brands. Top 10 brands growing with Gen Z. I would have bet my house that that never would have happened. But it happened because of the changes that we made in the sport in 2020.”
Since then, NASCAR has seen global icons like Pitbull and Michael Jordan enter the sport as team owners. Diversification is at an all-time high in the field, the garage, and the stands, thanks to the move. Though people don’t take well to change, Phelps believes that it is what is essential to grow. He reiterated on the podcast that enforcing change has worked wonders for the sport’s purpose.
Phelps has been at the helm of NASCAR since 2018. He manages all operations, partnerships, and competition for the sport and handles the management of 15 race tracks. He is also the top figure in the IMSA Sports Car Series. He is highly credited for helping the body traverse through the Covid-19 pandemic and taking key actions to increase stock car racing’s global appeal.
