Column: NASCAR Clouding Its Image With Politics

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- There are Democrats who enjoy NASCAR. Jews and atheists and women, too.

You wouldn't know it lately, not after several events this season, including the invocation before Saturday night's race at Texas Motor Speedway. Duck Commander founder Phil Robertson used the address to pray "that we put a Jesus man in the White House" and noted that "alright Texas, we got here via Bibles and guns."

Robertson, a star of "Duck Dynasty," has publicly voiced his support for Ted Cruz in the presidential race. His son, Willie, has endorsed GOP front-runner Donald Trump, and the family has always been vocal with its conservative beliefs. It shouldn't have been a surprise when Robertson used his time on stage to push an agenda.

Yet in many ways it was because NASCAR has tried for the last several years to present itself as a sport that embraces diversity, that no longer tolerates many of the racial stereotypes so often associated with the sport.

Last year, NASCAR chairman Brian France took a strong stance against the presence of Confederate flags at race tracks and said he would do everything in his legal power to prevent them from being displayed. It was a progressive move and unusual.

MORE...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CAR_NASCAR_IN_THE_PITS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-04-11-18-26-28