Written by Historically, politics and sports have had a reciprocal impact on one another. Whether sports are used to comment on or raise awareness of a political issue, or a political issue is influencing the way sports are viewed, it is essential to understand the dynamic relationship between the two.
On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) posted an announcement on X stating that it would be opening a new ICE detention facility in collaboration with the State of Indiana (Homeland Security, 2025). It was announced that the detention facility would be called the “Speedway Slammer” and was accompanied by an AI-generated image of an IndyCar livery, with “ICE” written on the side (Homeland Security, 2025). Furthermore, the image depicts the car number to be 5, which corresponds to Mexican IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward’s number (Homeland Security, 2025). This visual parallel has raised concerns among some observers about potential targeting.
While IndyCar has already issued a statement distancing itself from the announcement, indicating that its permission was not given for DHS to use its name or imagery in the announcement, this raises the question of whether disassociation is enough when sports are used to further political agendas that may be harmful to vulnerable populations.
This incident highlights the relationship between sports and politics throughout history. In the past, sporting events have been used to make political statements; for example, there were calls to boycott the 1936 Olympics held in Germany, as a result of Germany’s discrimination against non-white non-aryan athletes (Campbell, 2017). Additionally, the 1956 Melbourne Olympics were also the setting for numerous political statements (Campbell, 2017). Several European countries chose to boycott the games in protest against the Soviet Union’s invasion of Hungary. In addition, Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon decided to boycott these same games in protest of England and France’s invasion of the Suez (Campbell, 2017). In recent years, we have seen athletes like NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick take a knee during the US national anthem in protest of the racist treatment of Black Americans (Campbell, 2017).
The Speedway Slammer incident is an example of sports being drawn into politics by force. In this situation, it is not athletes, fans, or sports organizations making a commentary on politics, but rather the state using a sport to further its own political agenda. The current situation emphasizes the need for an intersection between sports and politics. With athletes and sporting organizations today having large platforms in addition to their fan bases, it is essential to recognize the role they play in shaping political narratives. When political speech is disallowed in sports, it allows a one-sided narrative to spread, which can have dangerous implications.
Making it known that IndyCar did not allow the use of their imagery for this campaign is a good first step from the organization to ensure the sport remains inclusive and separate from politics. However, issuing a formal statement stating that IndyCar not only did not approve the use of their sport but also that it does not support this initiative would go a long way further to emphasize their stance and the inclusivity of the sport. Finally, this is an excellent opportunity for IndyCar to lead by example, by issuing a broader statement regarding sports integrity and the reasons why governments should not use sports for political gain.
References:
Campbell, J. (2017, October 26). The Long, Loud History of Sports and Politics (in 66 Pictures). Legacy. https://www.legacy.com/news/culture-and-history/the-long-loud-history-of-sports-and-politics-in-66-pictures/
Homeland Security [@DHSgov]. (2025, August 5). The Speedway Slammer 🏁 [Image attached] [Post]. X.
The Associated Press. (2025, August 6). IndyCar officials and Pato O’Ward shocked by ice-related “Speedway Slammer” post. CityNews Halifax. https://halifax.citynews.ca/2025/08/06/indycar-officials-and-pato-oward-shocked-by-ice-related-speedway-slammer-post/