NASCAR’s next safety fix? Less Confederate flags

The image Friday night was just too ironic to ignore. Brad Daugherty, African American NASCAR commentator and car owner, working for ESPN prior to Nationwide action at Darlington — with a Confederate flag flying from an RV in the infield behind him. A Confederate flag may fly from the South Carolina State House, but this isn’t a Palmetto State thing. I’ve consistently seen rebel flags at Pocono and Dover, and I’ll be shocked if I don’t see at least some at Watkins Glen and New Hampshire when I make my way to those tracks later in the year. For Daugherty, a 7-footer with a press credential, there’s a combination of insulation/intimidation factor that likely keeps him from feeling too uncomfortable in what ostensibly would seem to be an unfriendly atmosphere. But what about the average person of color who wants to enjoy America’s No. 1 spectator sport and feel safe and secure? For all of the talk of NASCAR’s prominence exploding in the p...