There will be a new feature at the
Daytona International Speedway this weekend, and it's not a new concession stand, but a flag exchange program.
Fans will have the opportunity to exchange their Confederate flag for an American flag at this weekend's Independence Day race, according to
ESPN.
Racetrack president Joie Chitwood told the
Orlando Sentinel's George Diaz that the decision came with the intention of focusing on celebrating America's birthday, with America's flag.
“We want to celebrate the American flag this weekend," Chitwood said. "That’s the flag that we should be celebrating. We’re going to have flags available so if fans want to exchange whatever flags they have for an American flag, we want to make sure they wave our nation’s flag. It’s our nation’s birthday."
Chitwood also said that he is not changing the speedway's flag policy for this weekend's race, but will look at taking different measures down the road.
"At this point, with the late nature where we are, we cannot ban anything and cannot change our policy," he said. "But needless to say, there is a lot of discussion on how we get there and what we can do in the future to make sure we celebrate all that's right in this country."
