On Monday, Kyle Larson was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR for using a racial slur on a livestream during a virtual race. Chip Ganassi Racing also suspended Larson without pay. Larson said there was “no excuse” for his comment and apologized in a video posted on his social media accounts: “I made a mistake and said the word that should never, ever be said,” Larson said. “There is no excuse for that. I wasn’t raised that way. It’s just an awful thing to say. I feel very sorry for my family, my friends, my partners, the NASCAR community and especially the African American community. I understand the damage is probably unrepairable and I own up to that. But I just want to let you all know how sorry I am and I hope everybody is staying safe during these crazy times.”
NASCAR ordered Larson to complete a sensitivity training course before he’s eligible for reinstatement. NASCAR said in a statement, “NASCAR has made diversity and inclusion a priority and will not tolerate the type of language used by Kyle Larson during Sunday’s iRacing event. Our Member Conduct Guidelines are clear in this regard, and we will enforce these guidelines to maintain an inclusive environment for our entire industry and fan base.”
Larson was competing in an iRacing event Sunday night when he appeared to lose communication with his spotter on his headset. During a check of his microphone, Larson said, “You can’t hear me?” That was followed by the N-word. Larson used the slur during the Sunday night race against drivers from various series. The event was not part of NASCAR’s official series.
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