Ahead of its Cup Series race Wednesday night in Martinsville, Virginia, NASCAR said it is banning the flying of Confederate flags at its races and other events.
"The presence of the Confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry," NASCAR said in a statement on its website.
"Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special. The display of the Confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties."
This week, driver Bubba Wallace, the first full-time African American driver in the Cup Series since 1971, called for NASCAR to go further than 2015, when it asked fans not to bring the Confederate flags to races.
Ahead of its Cup Series race Wednesday night in Martinsville, Virginia, NASCAR said it is banning the flying of Confederate flags at its races and other events.
"The presence of the Confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry," NASCAR said in a statement on its website.
"Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special. The display of the Confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties."
This week, driver Bubba Wallace, the first full-time African American driver in the Cup Series since 1971, called for NASCAR to go further than 2015, when it asked fans not to bring the Confederate flags to races.
Wallace, 26, became the first African American driver since Wendell Scott (1963) to win an event sponsored by NASCAR when he won a trucks series race at Martinsville in 2013.
Martinsville is one of the tracks where Confederate flags are often seen in the parking lots and campgrounds, but Wednesday's race will have no fans. NASCAR won't allow limited numbers of fans in the grandstands until Sunday at the Cup race in Homestead, Florida.
NASCAR was formed in 1948 and runs three national series -- Cup, Xfinity and trucks.
CNN's Jill Martin and Amir Vera contributed to this report.