Page 17 - ARUBA TODAY

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Tuesday 22 augusT 2017

HIT

MAKER

A fan waves a small flag dur-
ing the singing of the national
anthem before the NASCAR
Cup Series auto race, Satur-
day, Aug. 19, 2017 in Bristol,
Tenn.
Associated Press
Column:

NASCAR

needs to

speak up

amid U.S.

turmoil

By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) —
Fans turn to sports for en-
tertainment, a respite from
the stress of the real world.
They say they don’t want
politics mixed in with sports,
they just want to enjoy the
show.
NASCAR, unfortunately,
cannot sit on the sidelines
and simply watch the cars
go round.
The top racing series in the
country lost the luxury of
staying above the fray two
years ago when Chairman
Brian France said he didn’t
want Confederate flags
at racetracks anymore.
France’s announcement
was in response to a deadly
church shooting in Charles-
ton, South Carolina, and it Verlander, Maeda have
infuriated a faction of fans
who believe the sport with no-hit bids broken up in 6th
deep Southern roots goes
hand-in-hand with the flag.
Last year, France openly
endorsed Republican Don- Detroit Tigers’ Dixon Machado connects for a two-run double
ald Trump at a Georgia during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los An-
rally. geles Dodgers, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017, in Detroit.
Associated Press
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