IndyCar fired the series' flagman Thursday after he posted on Facebook that he was dismayed with NASCAR's recent decision to ban Confederate flags from its events.
In a since-deleted Facebook post that was posted on Reddit, Brad Hockaday wrote, "Do these dips---- even understand what that flag stands for. I have lost all respect for NASCAR. I will no longer be supporting their sanction body."
He also criticized NASCAR's decision to end the requirement for team members to stand during the National Anthem, to allow for kneeling.
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"Now is the time for short tracks around the country to pull their NASCAR sanctions for their recent actions towards America. I would not want to be affiliated with a group that doesnt respect what the American flag stands for," Hockaday wrote.
An IndyCar spokeswoman confirmed to NBC News Friday that Hockaday had been fired from his seasonal, part-time position for violating IndyCar's social media policy.
According to Hockaday's LinkedIn page, he has worked with IndyCar for more than three years. He was at the helm of the flag stand Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway during the start of the delayed 2020 season.
Hockaday did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
NASCAR announced on Wednesday it would ban Confederate flags from its events, two days after Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr., the only black driver in the racing association's top series, called for the change.
Wallace said that while some people say the Confederate flag is about heritage, "to a lot of people it's a sign of hate."
The flag will no longer be allowed at races or displayed at any NASCAR properties, the league said in a statement posted to its Twitter account. "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," the statement said.
