NASCAR President Steve Phelps says banning confederate flag has been highly successful

NASCAR President Steve Phelps provided a positive update on the effects of NASCAR banning the confederate flag.

According to Phelps, banning the confederate flag at the track has led to some nice growth for the sport, and he cited the involvement of diverse stars like Michael Jordan and Pitbull as helping NASCAR move forward.

.@stevephelps says the confederate flag “was always the thing that hindered our growth” Once the decision was made to ban the flag “the flood gates opened”. Phelps points to the subsequent involvement of Michael Jordan and Pitbull points to the initiative’s success. #NASCAR #WWD3

— Lee Spencer (@CandiceSpencer) November 7, 2023

Alas, NASCAR always had to move forward in a similar vein as other big time sporting leagues. As another season drew to a close over the weekend, the sport seems to be moving in a nice direction.

Over the past few seasons, we’ve seen a youth movement within the sport, as well as the advent of numerous new tracks for NASCAR’s major series to race on. There’s a ton of untapped potential, and the sport looks like it’s making its way into new areas.

Moving forward, a NASCAR event should be a welcoming event for all parties, and that’s what Steve Phelps and company are trying to achieve. They’re on the right path, and some exciting times will continue into the future.

North Wilkesboro Speedway begins repaving ahead of 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race

In other major NASCAR news, North Wilkesboro Speedway announced Monday that the historic racetrack will be repaved ahead of the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race. 

North Wilkesboro, which had last hosted a NASCAR event in 1996, was revitalized for this past season’s All-Star Race. The racetrack hasn’t been repaved since 1981, although that will change in preparation for the 2024 event. 

“We are very grateful that NASCAR and FOX Sports have supported our efforts to bring the NASCAR All-Star Race back to North Wilkesboro in 2024,” Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith said in September, via Motorsport. “While NASCAR’s current 75th anniversary season still has some memorable moments to come, it’s hard to imagine a more magical moment than what we witnessed with NASCAR’s return to North Wilkesboro Speedway this past May. 

“The success of the 2023 All-Star Race with fans coming from all 50 states and seven foreign countries would not have been possible without the support of the NASCAR industry, our state legislature, Gov. Roy Cooper and the Wilkes County community. We’re thankful to have the opportunity to bring back an international spotlight for the second consecutive year to North Wilkesboro and the great state of North Carolina.”

On3’s Nick Geddes contributed to this article.