Getty Image
It seems like NASCAR is currently uncomfortable with drivers showing off political messages on their cars.
For the past few months, several paint schemes with political messages have run at NASCAR’s biggest races which has angered people on both sides of the political spectrum.
When Bubba Wallace ran his “Black Lives Matter” car in June, several fans were annoyed and turned off by the message. The same could be said when Corey LaJoie sported his “Trump 2020” car last week.
In an effort to become politically neutral and not offend anyone, NASCAR is reportedly considering a ban on political messages on paint schemes.
.@NASCAR is in the early stages of discussing whether to ban political paint schemes in the future, per sources, as the sport has been dealing with multiple controversies and become a cultural flashpoint in America.
📰: https://t.co/Vu5YpcZc4O pic.twitter.com/WLkLoklgO1
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) July 10, 2020
Via Adam Stern Sports Business Daily
Industry execs, including those from teams, are getting increasingly uneasy about how much the sport has been politicized, so there could be newfound acceptance of this topic. Sources say that NASCAR itself is also getting frustrated by the increasing polarization and controversies surrounding the sport, and it is now holding internal discussions about whether to ban political paint schemes in the future.
TIMING OF MOVE UNCLEAR: The talks are in the early stages, and what will be the ultimate outcome, and when such a move would be implemented if it was adopted, are all currently unclear. It also is unclear what NASCAR would define as political. This move likely would get major attention and show that the sport is taking active steps to try to be more politically neutral than ever before
It’s currently unclear what NASCAR deems “political” and it’s definitely a debate that could blow up in their face if they’re not careful.