NASCAR will not return to Donald Trump resort

Jeff Gluck | USA TODAY Sports

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR will not return to the Trump National Doral Miami resort for its postseason award banquets after Donald Trump's comments about Mexican immigrants this week.

NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said the decision was made Friday to hold the sport's Xfinity and Camping World Truck series banquets at another location, as well as the Sprint Cup Series' championship weekend news conference event.

That location has not been determined.

NBC, which is owned by the same company as Xfinity, severed its business relationship with Trump this week and Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis vowed not to attend the banquet if it was held at a Trump property.

"We were monitoring it closely and started looking at our own relationship with him and how it may have an impact and ultimately made the decision it does not make sense to continue that," Higdon said. "… We looked at everything that was said and done and we heard from a lot of our partners and friends and factored all that in."

Higdon said NASCAR had no official stance on Trump's comments, but Lemonis – who also hosts The Profit on CNBC – called them "blatantly bigoted and racist."

Lemonis made his comments in a June 30 letter addressed to NASCAR CEO Brian France. The letter was sent to USA TODAY Sports and other news outlets Friday at 4:02 p.m. ET. Higdon announced NASCAR's decision just over an hour later.

"Our company will not stand to support any person or organization that associates with such beliefs and we feel strongly about distancing ourselves from any negative and discriminatory comments made against any gender, ethnicity, age group or so forth," Lemonis said. "I would hope that the entire NASCAR organization would agree with my sentiments."

Lemonis said he has enjoyed a long-running relationship with NASCAR in part because "I believe the vision of our companies both embody family, respect, unity, comradery (sic) and diversity."

"These sentiments are at the core of what our country stands for and will continue to embrace," he said.

Lemonis appeared on two episodes of Trump's Celebrity Apprentice in 2012.

Trump has faced increasing backlash this week after stating he believes many Mexican immigrants are rapists and drug users.

NBC and Macy's are among those who have ended their business relationships with Trump as a result.

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