The closest thing Mr. Holder has to coaching experience in sports, he said in an interview, was leading his intramural flag-football team in college.

WSJ: Unlikely Prince Charmings Apply

According to the Flag Institute, a leading research centre that manages the United Kingdom Flag Registry, it is a "relatively recent idea" that the flag is only a jack when flown from a warship.

BBC: The union jack: A very complex flag

And the production version of the 2014 Chevy SS will be the official pace car, leading an all-Chevrolet front row to the green flag.

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