Dale Earnhardt Jr. Agreed With His Dad On Confederate Flag

Every now and then the topic of the Confederate flag being present at NASCAR infields reemerges and it usually creates some pretty heated discussion. 

But while many NASCAR fans don't really have an opinion on the flag of the rebellion, a number of current and former NASCAR drivers certainly do. Perhaps the most noteworthy opponents of the flag's presence in NASCAR are the father-son duo of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

A report from Jay Busbee in 2015 recalls that the late Dale Sr. tore off his own Confederate flag decorations for good after his African-American housekeeper explained that the flag and its implications made him uncomfortable. 

But Dale Jr. had an equally blunt approach to his opposition to the flag back in the day. In his 2001 autobiography, Dale Jr. made it clear that he doesn't appreciate the flag and would probably call people out for flying it if he didn't think it'd simply be a waste of time.

"The guy has put me in a bind. As much as I brag about being a no-[B.S.]-tell-it-like-it-is-here's-how-I-see-it kinda guy, I know that these are the fans that pay my salary, so I'm hesitant to tell him the rebel flag represents closed-minded, racist views that have no place in today's society. Give 'em a straight answer and I may piss off the "rebels" in the crowd ... But I have my opinions and I don't want to give a dishonest answer, either. I feel like the weight of the Civil War is resting on my shoulders," he wrote back in 2001. "I take a couple of breaths and say, 'I think it means something different to me than it does to y'all...' That gets mixed reactions. Some hoot and yell, some kind of snicker."