zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
FloRacing Removes Stream Of Short Track Race Featuring Racist Rant
FloRacing Removes Stream Of Short Track Race Featuring Racist Rant-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:56

Image for article titled FloRacing Removes Stream Of Short Track Race Featuring Racist Rant

One track announcer’s racially- and nationally-charged speech at Iowa’s Kossuth County Speedway has turned the racing world on its head; some fans are wondering how this was allowed to happen while others — especially fans of color — are sharing their experiences with racing always being a fairly nationalist sport.

The Kossuth County Speedway race was aired on , a motorsport streaming service that broadcasts just about anything, from drag racing to dirt racing and everything outside and in between. It also happened to stream a lengthy rant by one announcer in between on-track sessions.

“Here’s your social service announcement: If you won’t stand for our flag, if you’re gonna take a knee, if you’re gonna feel you have rights — you have the right to remain silent most of the time. But I’ve got words for you: find a different country if you won’t do it. Get the hell out of dodge,” the announcer said.

“Yes. A lot of people sacrificed things in their lives for us to do these liberties,” he added. “If you feel that’s your right, well, you just don’t have a right.

“I’ve heard about all the stuff going on in the NFL, now they’re going to have another national anthem for those folks, for I guess the darker toned skin color. I’ll just say, Blacks, they want a different national anthem, and the NFL is gonna do it. So, I say, shut the TVs off and let them play in front of nobody. Yes. That’s my announcement.”

During the speech, you could hear the crowd cheering in agreement. The clip has since been deleted from Twitter.

Kossuth County Speedway responded shortly after the event to clarify that this announcer was a fill-in track announcer, not their usual announcer.

Kossuth County Speedway and the Kossuth County Fair Board do not condone the comments made by the fill-in announcer,” a statement read. “We do not tolerate discrimination at our racing events and welcome race fans of all color, gender, and creed to join our racing family.”

It continued, “We acknowledge that though this is an isolated incident, that does not make it okay. Going forward, we will no longer be employing the individual who made those comments as a fill-in track announcer at any of our track events.”

FloRacing also responded by releasing a statement that read, “FloSports does not condone the sentiment or speech made by the announcer at the Kossuth County Speedway during the weekly racing event streamed on FloRacing on July 15. His opinions and language do not reflect our core values or have a place on our platform. The announcer was not a FloSports employee nor did we have a relationship with him. The event broadcast has been removed from FloRacing.”

Many fans were relieved to have such a quick response once the video began circulating on Twitter. However, not all fans were pleased — and one race track, Fairmont Raceway, doubled down. This track is the place where Kossuth’s fill-in announcer generally works.

The post read:

Lon Oelke has been our track announcer at Fairmont Raceway for many years. He will absolutely be announcing tomorrow night!

I, Jon Mccorkell am the promoter at Fairmont, and I do agree with all of Lons comments and opinions!

Please like and share if you agree, and join us tomorrow night and listen to non in person!!!

Fans of color took to Twitter to share their responses to the video:

For many, it was a disheartening reminder that the sport they love is not the welcoming place they’d like it to be. There have been calls for fans, tracks, and drivers to do better, and with good reason. There is no place for racism in our sport, and the more we speak out against it, the better.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Weekend Motorsport Roundup; November 10-11, 2018
Weekend Motorsport Roundup; November 10-11, 2018
Welcome to the Jalopnik Weekend Motorsports Roundup, where we let you know what’s going on in the world of racing, where you can see it, and where you can talk about it all in one convenient place. Where else would you want to spend your weekend? If you know anything...
Jul 27, 2025
NASCAR Promises to Change 'Ridiculous' Culture of Cheating
NASCAR Promises to Change 'Ridiculous' Culture of Cheating
Much like your high-school algebra teacher who did their best to explain that, yes, letters do belong in math, really, really wants race teams to stop cheating. And much like said teacher, the punishments—zeros on homework, —just aren’t stopping the crimes. A few days after Kevin Harvick and his Stewart-Haas...
Jul 27, 2025
Max Verstappen Knocked Out Of Brazilian Grand Prix Victory, Recovers To Second As Lewis Hamilton Wins
Max Verstappen Knocked Out Of Brazilian Grand Prix Victory, Recovers To Second As Lewis Hamilton Wins
Max Verstappen , but in today’s Brazilian Grand Prix he certainly had the fastest car on track this weekend. Red Bull spent all of their efforts in qualifying attempting to finalize their in-race setups rather than focusing on their grid position. As a result the two Red Bull drivers started...
Jul 27, 2025
A Very Unfortunate Bird Could Have Made McLaren's Brazilian Grand Prix Weekend Even Worse
A Very Unfortunate Bird Could Have Made McLaren's Brazilian Grand Prix Weekend Even Worse
Anyone who’s ever had the misfortune to hit a bird while driving knows how much it blows. Now imagine how quick hitting a bird at up to 200 mph could really ruin your day. Such are the unfortunate worries of McLaren driver Stoffel Vandoorne at the Interlagos circuit this weekend....
Jul 27, 2025
Rip Around Daytona Onboard This 1950s Corvette
Rip Around Daytona Onboard This 1950s Corvette
You can practically feel the sun in your eyes and the air rapidly moving across your helmet’s visor as you watch this on-board video of a windshieldless 1950s Corvette racer. This one, in full 360-degree video provides incredible sound and shows a lot of the things you’d normally miss in...
Jul 27, 2025
Eight Years After Near-Fatal Rally Crash, Robert Kubica Offered Williams F1 Drive: Report
Eight Years After Near-Fatal Rally Crash, Robert Kubica Offered Williams F1 Drive: Report
For the past few years, enigmatic Polish driver Robert Kubica has been inching back into Formula Oneafter surviving getting impaled in a rally car crash. Now he has a standing offer for a race seat with Williams and a possible reserve role at Ferrari, as reports. Kubica is among those...
Jul 27, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved