NASCAR's Ray Ciccarelli: My Family's Been 'Attacked and Abused on Social Media'

Ray Ciccarelli, the NASCAR Truck Series driver who threatened to quit over the sport banning the Confederate flag and allowing kneeling during the national anthem, said his family has been "attacked and abused" for his comments on social media.

“I wasn’t raised the way people are portraying me to be. That’s just not me,” Ciccarelli told TonyChristie.com. “I am not that type of person. Just the attack—my wife, my family have been attacked and abused on social media. It’s just heartbreaking.”

Ciccarelli wrote a Facebook post last week after NASCAR announced it would no longer allow fans to fly the Confederate flag, saying he was leaving the sport after this season. 

"I don’t believe in kneeling during Anthem nor taken ppl right to fly whatever flag they love," Ciccarelli wrote. “I could care less about the Confederate Flag but there are ppl that do and it doesn’t make them a racist all you are doing is f–-king one group to cater to another.”

The post has since been deleted.

The Confederate flag is a racist symbol left over from the Civil War that many equate to supporting slavery and/or discrimination against black people. NASCAR previously suggested fans not bring the flag to races in 2015, implementing an exchange program. However, the body recently issued an outright ban amid nationwide protests against police brutality and discrimination against black people in the wake of George Floyd's killing in police custody.

Ciccarelli said his post was "misconstrued" and showed no contrition.

"I regret how it was misconstrued," said Ciccarelli. "I don't regret my feelings of believing in the national anthem and standing. I don't like the fact that I was misconstrued about defending the Confederate flag. Because in no way shape or form was I defending the Confederate flag.

"Everything I was saying was the fact that I understand both sides' feelings toward the flag. My viewpoint, all I was trying to say is how do you take [the flag] from one group and help support the group that it offends and then what do you do to the group that you took it from? Now, they get outraged."

Ciccarelli has one top-10 finish in his Truck Series career and has never finished higher than 33rd in the points standings.